Discovery
by KtyouVsWriting
Summary: Hajime Hinata wants to get into the main course, but he doesn't have talent, or so he believes. However, a bit of advice can go a long way to influencing the decisions of a person. Hajime looks up to the main course, so of course he listens to what the Ultimates have to say to him. He might not believe himself to have talent, but at least he can have friends in the main course.
1. Chisa's Campaign, Chiaki's Contemplation

Chapter 1: Chisa's Campaign, Chiaki's Contemplations

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Thursday, July 15th,** **2010**

 **Noon Time**

Chisa Yukizome saw the boy known as Hajime Hinata, a Reserve Course student, laying on a bench in the courtyard. She assumed that this was not the first time that he had done this sort of lounging around, and right now, he looked like he'd been laying down for some time now if his relaxed body was anything to go by. His face was one that had a look of deep thought, and the frown made it seek like things weren't going well.

Today, she had decided to see him before going to meet up with her class. There was something about him that was familiar to her. Although she couldn't claim to know him well, she had deduced from what she had seen and researched that his behavior was that of a stern young man who looked down on himself. Reserve Course students had no outstanding talents, and when she had recognized his uniform and identified him as being part of the Reserve Course, he had reluctantly acknowledged his status. He seemed to treat his supposed inadequacy as something to be ashamed of.

Chisa could only guess that for some reason that Hajime looked up to the main course students, and no doubt wanted to be one of them, and if that was the only thing he had going for him, the assistant homeroom teacher would not have thought too much of him; many had his mindset, and although she wasn't a snob when it came to her talent, she did acknowledge that people with innate talent had a head start in the world.

It wasn't Hajime Hinata's talent, or lack thereof. It was his characteristics, his personality that drew her to him. He reminded her of the man of her affections in many ways. Plus, he was friends with Chiaki, so two points in his favor.

It was more than enough for her to want to know more.

"Hajime Hinata." Chisa leaned over and announced her presence.

Hajime reacted abruptly by briefly crying out and sitting up. She shifted her eyes to note his tense posture and alert face. She made a mental note to herself that he was a bit timid, a sign that he needed to work on confidence.

"M-Miss Yukizome." Hajime shakily acknowledged her. "P-please don't do that again."

"Well, if you weren't taking a nap on a bench on this perfect day, then I would have no reason to jump-scare you." She said while grinning. "You don't get friends and forge memories by being alone."

"Well doesn't that make two of us then?" Hajime recovered, questioning her and stared back in challenge. "You're here and not with your class."

 _Defensive, are we?_ Her mind noted.

"I thought I'd have a talk with you." She claimed all the while giving her best smile. "Seeing that you've got no one right now, I think you can indulge me.

"Yeah, sure." Hajime accepted, though he sounded unsure. "But what would you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, about why you came here, for starters." Chisa took a seat next to him. "So you came to Hope's Peak High, but why?"

The student cast a look at the ground, and as the teacher watched him, she noted that his face was even, albeit serious. He already knew his answer, she realized, and yet he he didn't appear happy about his reason.

"Some of the best people in Japan and even the world come from Hope's Peak High." Hajime answered as he looked to the sky. "More than anything, I've always wanted to know that I can do something impressive, that I can do something important that has true meaning to people."

"And that's why you came to Hope's Peak High?" Chisa questioned, her interest now rising. "You do know that there are plenty of schools out there who have witnessed some of the best that Mankind has to offer."

"Sure, that's true, but Hope's Peak High is an exceptional school." Hajime interjected with his own reasoning. "The school has cranked out more impressive people in one year than others can do in ten."

"So you want to be talented." Chisa picked up instantly on what his focus was on. "Is that what you're saying?"

"Yeah, but that's the problem." He clenched his teeth lightly. "I don't have any talent. I'm an empty cup, which makes me sometimes question why I came here."

"Well clearly, you thought you could change yourself, and that's a start." She conveyed to the boy. "But you know, talent isn't the end of the game. It's only a start. Some people have talent and waste it while others don't have talent and succeed."

"There is that." He conceded.

"So maybe you weren't born with talent," she continued, "But that doesn't mean you can't excel at something."

He said nothing, but his eyes told her that she had his attention if nothing else, so she pressed her advantage.

"You said that you're an empty cup. So why not take that cup and fill it with something that you can learn to become the best at?"

"Miss Yukizome?" Hajime tilted his head.

"The way I see it, you've got an advantage that everyone else doesn't have." Chisa looked at the garden that surrounded them. "You're free to choose what you want to do in life. Yes, it is true the main course students have talent, but they're restricted in a way. That talent is why they're here, and sadly, it may be the only reason."

"..." He only regarded her, having no words.

"The only real problem that you have is self-confidence issues." She commented, poking him in the arm. "If you were able to fix that and find something you like to do, then maybe life wouldn't be so bleak."

"..." He let out a light chuckle.

"What?" Chisa looked to him. "What did I say?"

"Nothing." Hajime regained control, though he had a trace of a smile. "You just said some things that Chiaki told me too, about talent not being the endgame, about me having the freedom to choose."

"There you go." Chisa beamed at hearing her student's name. "You should consider yourself lucky, Mister Hinata. You've got an alumni and a student from the main course looking out for you."

"I wouldn't say that." Hajime voiced. "But… thank you anyways. I… really appreciate it."

"If you ever need more advice, then ask away. I'll be happy to help. Better yet, ask Chiaki. That girl is smarter than she lets on." Chisa stood up and faced him brightly. "You know, for a Reserve Course student, you're not half bad company."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." Hajime perked up at this. "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Count on it." She gave him a thumbs-up. "And don't let the main course students frighten you. They may be unusual, but they're people just like you and me."

With a final exchange of goodbyes, Chisa began to make her way to her classroom, eager to see her students, but still keeping her conversation with Hajime in mind.

From this talk, she'd managed to get a better grasp on the boy. She still maintained that he was a pessimist, but not quite as much as she had initially believed. Underneath all of that there was a boy who just wanted to shine, and she understood his desire. If he was so conflicted, then no doubt he was hearing conflicting opinions on his life choices. It might be better to say that he was caught in an intersection with multiple ways and no way to know which way was right for him.

Hopefully, she had given him a push in a direction that he wanted.

Also, the way he spoke about Chiaki indicated that he valued the relationship with the gamer girl. As the homeroom teacher to the Super High School Level Gamer, Chisa knew that Chiaki was spending more of her time with Hajime. On paper, that was not significant, but the fact that Chiaki chose to spend time with Hajime, a Reserve Course student, out of her own free will spoke to a strong connection.

Still, a single conversation wasn't enough to get the best image of Hajime Hinata. There were still too many unknowns that had to be figured out. There was a possibility that his own perception of himself had warped the truth, and she needed a clear image of what he was capable of before deciding what he was and what he was not. That would take time, but she had already started on the path, and she intended to see it through.

"Between my real reason for being here, my class, and Hajime, this is going to be tough." Chisa muttered in contemplation. "But you don't get anywhere in life without some sort of hardship, so play ball, I say."

Chisa wondered what her class was doing right now. So far for the past two weeks, their behavior was all over the place. With all of the personalities mixed into Class 77-B, the scenarios that could occur were plentiful and unique, and not for the first time, the former Super High School Level Housekeeper wondered what she would be seeing today when she walked through the doorway.

She also thought about her research that Kyosuke needed. For some reason, he suspected that Hope's Peak High School was hiding something from the public, and if that was the case, then it had to be something big, and likely something bad. That left a bad taste in the mouth. Hope's Peak High was a beacon of hope. To think that said hope was tainted…

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Thursday,** **July 15, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

What an interesting teacher. She was such an upbeat and positive one. How she did it he had no idea, but he was almost envious of her energy.

 _She must be able to connect with people easily,_ he considered.

Hajime Hinata watched as Miss Yukizome left, leaving him to his own thoughts once more. Her company was certainly more energetic than he was used to expecting from one person, but it wasn't unwelcome in his eyes. It did make him question a few things.

"Why does she care so much about me?" He asked himself, his hands laced together in front of him. "What does she see in me?"

She had graduated from Hope's Peak. That instantly made her someone amazing in his eyes. He would have to ask her what her talent was, but maybe the answer was in front of him. She dressed like she was a housekeeper. Did that mean she was an Ultimate Housekeeper? It didn't matter that it sounded like a lackluster talent; if the academy recognized it, then it was a worthy talent.

"Well, even if that is her talent, as unbelievable as that sounds, she's an alumni." Hajime reminded himself. "That automatically makes her awesome no matter how you slice it."

"Chisa Yukizome." A familiar voice said. "Now there's one that won't ever lose her energy no matter what happens."

Hajime turned his head to see the former Headmaster of Hope's Peak. Kazuo Tengan was a legend in virtually all ways. The man's reputation was spotless and if one took a look at all the things he'd accomplished in his lifetime, it would not be hard to give respect to the man. His appearance was hardly a proper means of discerning who he truly was, though the old man was content to be humble with his accomplishments.

"Mister Tengan." Hajime nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Did you… did you hear all that, sir?"

"Only the last part." Kazuo Tengan assured the young man. "Do you mind making room for an old man?"

"Of course not, sir." Hajime immediately complied with the request. "Please sit."

Even as the elderly man took a seat, conversation didn't start immediately, but the Reserve Course student was certain that there was more than enough to talk about. It was sometimes hard for Hajime to believe that he could talk to this man one-on-one. Most students, Reserve Course and Main Course, wouldn't be able to have such a chance.

"So have you made a decision about whether to accept or not?" Mister Tengan asked the question that was expected.

"I… I don't know what to say, sir." Hajime replied honestly. "I thought it would be a clear-cut thing for me, but…"

"I take it that Miss Yukizome's words have made an impact?"

"They have, and now that I think about them, it makes me wonder why I didn't think about them before."

"Well, you're young. You've got your whole life ahead of you." Tengan leaned back into the bench. "If I'm being honest, the project is not something I support."

"Really?" That came as a surprise to Hajime. "Why not?"

"Hope is something that comes on its own." Tengan explained his thought process. "For as long as Humans have existed, we've made many things ourselves. By extension, we also make our own hope."

"I understand, sir. It's just…" Hajime sighed. "Hope's Peak is all about talent and not having talent makes me feel like... I don't truly belong here. Having no talent makes me feel... useless."

"You shouldn't feel that way." Mister Tengan opined casually. "There's no shame in normalcy. If talent is what solely defines who we are, then Humans would be not be a strong as they are."

"Then what should I do, sir?" Hajime almost thought he was begging. "My heart tells me one thing, my mind tells me another, and everyone tells me something else."

"Do what you want." Tengan told the teenager as if he knew the question already. "Listen to others for opinions, but remember that this is your life, not theirs."

"I see." Hajime had heard these words many times.

He recalled Chiaki's words as well as Miss Yukizome's. Talent wasn't the end all be all. So both of them said, but was it true?

"Mister Tengan?" Hajime just thought of something. "Is it possible for Ultimates to be selected to come to Hope's Peak even if their talent is discovered much later than normal."

"It's not something that happens often." Tengan stroked his beard. "But it's possible. I've approved students that have been in the same circumstance you spoke of. Why do you ask?"

"Well…" Hajime gathered his courage. "The way I see things now, I can do anything if I set my mind to it, so becoming a skilled person might be the way to go."

"Ah, I think I understand." Tengan replied softly. "However, what you propose will be a difficult task. To convince the staff in Hope's Peak High that you're worthy of being transferred to the main course…"

"It was just a thought, and I haven't even laid out a basic overall plan." Hajime already felt frustration at his own idea. "I want to be hopeful, but I get the feeling that people will think I'm overstepping my bounds."

A pause.

"It seems that you have a choice to make." Tengan finalized. "Partake in the project, return to normalcy, or prove that you can stand on par with the ultimates."

Three choices, all of them full of pros and cons. This was not a decision to be made without some deliberation.

"I understand," the Reserve Course student said, "I'll have an answer by the deadline. I need more time to figure out what I want."

"By all means." The old man rose from his place on the bench. "Just make sure you're able to deal with whatever may come your way once you make a choice."

"Yes, sir." Hajime stood up and bowed in respect. "I thank you for your time."

"It was no trouble, Mister Hinata." Tengan smiled. "After all, you are the future, just like every other teenager out there. I won't be around much longer, so I must impart wisdom whenever people are willing to listen. Also, there is something I should remind you: in order to be accepted into the main course, two requirements must be fulfilled. You must be enrolled in high school and you must excel in the area of your choosing."

"That's right." Hajime knew this, yet he'd forgotten about it. "Thank you Mister Tengan."

Remembering that had class to attend, Hajime checked his uniform to make sure there were no blatantly obvious imperfections before walking to the Reserve Course building. Along the way, he passed by other students whose faces were familiar to him. He didn't wave or say hi to anyone. Really, this was just like what a normal highschool life felt like. If he were to compare Hope's Peak's Reserve Course, it would be almost the same compared to Kodaka High School in terms of the atmosphere.

Even the looks people gave him.

He had history next, and he was more than ready for the class. Although he didn't consider himself talented, he did commit himself to his work. This was the best school in all of Japan. If he didn't do his best, then he was wasting the opportunity given to him by his parents. Although there were a lot of pages to read, the dark-haired boy felt confident that his notes, as limited as they appeared, caught the really important things.

As he flipped through the notes, he quickly took in the information and tried to remember what each one meant, summarizing each point as best he could without thinking about it too much. His mind was not completely focused on his notes though.

He balanced all of the choices for his future.

The Izuru Kamukura Project would ensure him a spot in the main course, and it was oh-so tempting, yet it was an easy path; all he had to do was agree and he would be an ultimate because of experimentation and not because of his own skills.

Returning to a normal high school, while not a choice he wanted to make, was one he had to consider. He was a realist, and he knew his parents couldn't keep paying for him to stay in the Reserve Course forever. The costs were very high.

Trying to convince Hope's Peak High that he was worthy enough to transfer into the main course felt like an impossible goal, but being able to do so would mean that he could do something amazing by himself and without aid.

Once he got out of classes for the day, he would have more time to think.

"Alright, class has started. Take your seats."

Hajime flipped his page to a blank one and got out his pencil and reoriented his mind. The next test was probably going to be some time next week, so he had to make sure he payed extra attention.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Friday, July 16, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Chiaki held her controller in determination. This was her element, and she intended to give it her all here. Her title as the Super High School Level Gamer wasn't for nothing.

She made a leap just as Nekomaru charged to attack her. The attack was predictable given the limited space of the arena being fought in. She had fought more than enough people to know when to take the bait and when to retreat.

"Haha!" Akane couldn't help but laugh in joy. "Take that!"

"Your attacks are impressive, but I am still alive and fighting." Gundam kept focus as he fought. "Beware of my power."

"Keep talking, skunk head!" Nekomaru chided back. "I'll wipe the floor with you!"

Although her focus was on the game, Chiaki couldn't help but hear her classmates as they teased and dissed each other in a friendly manner. This sort of atmosphere was nice, more so than she expected. Multiplayer was always more interesting than playing against the AI. Humans were more capable of surprising things in her experience and honest opinion. Even with the world full of sore losers and cheaters and other ugly characters in the gaming world, playing with people was more fun than going solo.

"On your left!" Akane called to Chiaki, who responded. "You go, girl!"

"Hey, no helping!" Nekomaru grilled the gymnast girl. "The Ultimate Gamer doesn't need help right now!"

"I second that." Gundam spoke while concentrating. "This is her dimension, and we're all recent arrivals."

"Says you, crazy man." Akane grinned a little more. "There's no rule saying that!"

Okay, maybe Chiaki wasn't quite used to the chatter. Gaming didn't require having to have direct contact with anyone, but then again they were an odd bunch to begin with. The diversity of personalities within class 77-B was enough for her to initially shy away from them all. As she had said to Ryota the previous day, there was no multiplayer vibe.

How wrong had she been, and she was glad she was wrong. This was undoubtedly more fun than going solo.

Gundam and Nekomaru continued to bicker lightly at each other as they fought for dominance of the diminutive playing field. Akane's play style reflected her go-getter attitude, thus making her somewhat easy to anticipate for Chiaki. Gundam was more strategic. Nekomaru was being... Nekomaru for lack of a better term of phrase.

"Hey's what's going on in here?" The voice of Miss Yukizome was vaguely in the background.

Chiaki decided against listening to the background conversations in favor of continuing to play the game.

"Akane, above." Chiaki called out.

"Whoa there, gorilla." Akane barely heeded the warning. "Trying to get the drop on me? Nice try, but not good enough."

"I WILL GET YOU EVENTUALLY." Nekomaru boomed as he usually did. "MARK MY WORDS, YOU CAN'T KEEP THIS UP FOREVER."

"You have let your guard down." Gundam blindsided him from seemingly out of nowhere. "Now begone from this tournament!"

Nekomaru's avatar was blasted off the screen without warning, leaving him with no more lives.

"HAHA!" Akane laughed at this turn of events. "Serves you right."

"This was merely practice." Nekomaru adopted a grumpy tone. "I will persevere next time."

"I hope that you had fun all the same." Chiaki decided now was the time to jump in. "It's so much fun to play with other people."

"Have no fear." Nekomaru recovered quickly. "I did indeed have fun."

That made her feel just a little better. Maybe she could be friends with these classmates of hers after all.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, July 16, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Strangely enough, watching her other classmates play had its own sort of entertainment. She could more accurately gauge strategies and tactics by watching them play the more coordinated game laced with a bit of luck.

And speaking of luck, Nagito was playing, and boy was his luck making the game all the more interesting. Honestly, Chiaki had never see results like these before. She doubted there was a bug of glitch in the game, so the Super High School Level Luckster must be just getting his usual dosage of luck, good and bad.

"Ah yeah, just look at how awesome I am." Kazuichi proudly showed off. "There's just no stopping me and my awesomeness."

"I wouldn't flaunt for long." Nagito remained calm as he always did. "The game is still afoot."

"We've still got a ways to go before victory is certain." Teruteru interjected into the banter. "Don't be so quick to think winning is that easy."

"But it's still fun to do this." Fuyuhiko smirked madly. "Eat my dust!"

The Super High School Level Gangster gained dominance, leaving the other three players to consider their position.

"Okay, that is so not fair." Kazuichi lamely moaned.

Chiaki took felt a smile upon her face. It was almost as fun to hear her classmates playfully take shots at each other. Maybe they were closer to being friends than even she realized. If she had known that she could bring them all together by playing games with them, then she would've done this sooner.

The gamer girl checked the clock and

"Fairness is a far-fetched ideal." Nagito said in his own special way. "But I understand not wanting to lose. Take heart, friend. At least you're not the only one hurting now, and I would rather lose to those above me."

Those words couldn't have come at a more awkward time as Nagito's luck had turned back to the good side.

"How?" The mechanic could only drop his controller. "That should not possible."

"Well, I stand by what I said about fairness." Nagito move to assume damage control. "It would seem that this game is mine for the taking."

Nagito was a strange one. He was talking as if everything in life had some greater purpose, some greater meaning. Video games, while they could be influential works if done right, they weren't really meant to be analyzed and thought-about that much. With a few exceptions to the rule, it was accurate to say that video games served as mere entertainment and its meaning didn't have to go any further.

"My money." The pink-haired boy whined and weeped. "Fate is so cruel. Why?"

"Ah, suck it up, man." Fuyuhiko tried to calm Kazuichi, though he didn't sound any better. "You win some, you lose some."

"There's always next time." Teruteru said, trying to lighten the sour mood.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Friday, July 16, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Ibuki Mioda could play a mean guitar, but Chiaki noted that she was lacking in racing games despite her claims saying otherwise. They had played three races already and the first three saw the musician in last place each time, usually with humiliating upsets along the way, most of them caused by Hiyoko Saionji. The traditional dancer had more than a little deviousness in her blood.

"This time for sure." Ibuki said as she concentrated. "I won't be last."

"You said that the last three times." Hiyoko snickered as they began the race. "Admit it, you suck at this game."

"I do not suck at this game." Ibuki insisted as she worked the controller. "I just have really bad luck today."

While the musical girl tried to convince every that she could play racing games perfectly fine, she was distracted. Hiyoko took advantage of this and launched a projectile intentionally at Ibuki and knocked her off of course, and the three remaining racers passed.

"Why, Hiyoko?" Ibuki let out some tears. "Whatever did I do to you?"

"Nothing." Hiyoko smirked, making a sharp turn on the map. "But you were in the way."

"Fine, I'll get you." Ibuki. "Okay, back on track. Watch out, because I'm coming for you."

That comment came too soon as she stumbled upon a trap left on the road, one that blew her off the race course again. Chiaki, Hiyoko, and Miss Yukizome just glanced to their left to see what would happen next.

"This is cruel." Ibuki seemed to have lost her resolve. "So cruel."

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, July 16, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

"This is more fun that I thought it would be." Mahiru added idly. "Chiaki, you're good at this."

True to the photographer's words, the gamer girl was dominating the field, which sort of was to be expected. As far as she could tell, barring herself, none of the girls playing now had played this game before, but even with that fact they were putting up a decent fight, that much she would admit to.

It had started out in favor of Chiaki, then Mikan quickly turned the table with her chaotic and panicky playing method of laying bombs all over the place. Pretty soon, everyone was taken out of the game.

"Well, okay then." Mahiru didn't know a better thing to say. "That happened."

"Yeah." Chiaki just followed suit.

"Agreed." Sonia was of a like mind.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry." Mikan moved to apologize. "I-I didn't mean to win. I didn't k-know the controls. I-"

"It's okay, Mikan." Mahiru moved to calm the nurse down. "You didn't know what you were doing. None of us did really, except Chiaki, but that can be forgiven."

"Thanks." Chiaki smiled at this. "How about another game?"

They were quick to start a new game, and luckily, Mikan managed to keep it together and actually have some fun playing without fear of being scolded, yelled at, or otherwise negatively spoken to.

By the time food had rolled in courtesy of Teruteru, Chiaki had decided that her time spent with the class was fun.

Miss Yukizome had the right idea about sharing video games with friends. Now that she knew how fun it was to play with others, she began to wonder how many games Hajime would like to play. He did promise to play a few games.

 _I hope he wants to play._

* * *

 **Although I'm relatively new to the Danganronpa series, I find it's characters and concepts extremely compelling. The characters all have something to offer (provided that they get the chance) and the themes of hope and despair are things that we all have to grasp in real life.**

 **As is my mode of operation, I start with what I hope are faithful adaptations of characters before I do anything out of character. Hajime is my favorite character because I see the same sort of struggles in myself when he talks or thinks, and Chisa, I felt could have had more of a role in the anime, so I'm giving her one. Think of her as a sort of mother figure to Hajime.**

 **Also, there are no definite pairings as of this chapter. At this point in the story, I believe it's safe to say that Hajime and Chiaki aren't romantically invested in each other yet, so who knows? You might see Hajime paired up with someone else.**

 **Finally, because of the nature of this story, I feel it prudent to have a beta reader for ideas and concepts. I trust in myself to know the characters, but having a second opinion is always important in any work you do.**

 **In the meantime, if all of you want to see more chapters more quickly, then favorite, follow, and review. If anyone has ideas they want to share, then leave them in a review.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading.**

 _ **"Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit."**_

 **Aristole**


	2. Mikan's Misstep, Nagito's Negativity

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 2: Mikan's Misstep, Nagito's Negativity

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Monday, July 19th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Hajime paused to take a look back at the building which he had come from. It was hard to believe that said building was part of Hope's Peak Academy. It looked just like any other normal school, albeit more imposing. He was under no illusion that simply having Hope's Peak Academy on a resume was more than enough reason to enroll, but the Reserve Course only had the academy's name to reinforce it, unlike the Main Course which was the heart and soul of this institution. That wasn't enough.

Try as he might to find his best pathway to get into the Main Course, he still had not come to a decision yet. Between being injected with talent, returning to normality, and finding his own abilities, he struggled to figure out which benefitted him the most and which hurt him the least. He was not skilled in clairvoyance. He had no way to know which decision would bring what future; he was just a normal person and he was reacting how any normal human would in his position: overwhelmed. He had to approach each situation logically and with a clear mind. Easy to say, but hard to do.

He needed a break from these thoughts. With his classes done for the day and being caught up with his work, he had time to relax. He needed something, anything to take his mind off of this life business. If he wasn't doing his schoolwork, then he was thinking about the future. That would do a number on his mental health if kept obsessing, or so it made sense to him in his own mind.

Hajime knew that other students were leaving to return to the dorms, but he didn't really look up and see who was around. He didn't have many people that he talked to in this school. He had left all of his friends from his former high school when he had transferred from Kodaka High School to Hope's Peak. It seemed like nobody here had any desire to get into the main course and were just content to be attending the school with the title as the best preparatory school in all of Japan. His attitude with wanting to be a main course student had more or less alienated him from the rest of his classmates.

Now he was sure that the only students that he could possibly be friends with were the Main Course students, but of course the Main Course and the Reserve Course students rarely ever mingled. They had classes on opposite sides of the campus. Thus they were given few chances to interact during the school day. Plus, there was a feeling of disdain from the Reserve Course towards the Main Course. Because there was no evidence to back this feeling up, it remained a feeling, not fact.

It felt like a dream to be able to interact with the Ultimates. Well, a dream turned reality more like considering he'd befriended Chiaki Nanami, the Super High School Level Gamer. It was luck, he thought in this case, but why look a gift horse in the mouth? Good luck should be embraced, not questioned.

Hajime took to the streets and looked left and right. With nothing on-hand to see to, personal or business, the best thing that he could think to do was just take a walk through the streets, see what would happen if anything.

The first few minutes felt disappointing. He just walked through the streets over and over again. He was looping really, not going any further than a block from the school grounds. He figured that if anything interesting were to happen, it would be within a close vicinity of Hope's Peak. It was perhaps asking a bit much, but it was the best thing that he could think of at this time.

Hajime's idea would be prove to be fruitfull, for in his own musings, he failed to see that he was running headlong into another person. It was then too late as he felt someone colliding with him. His momentum was slower than that of whomever he had knocked against and he fell down. The first time pain registered was when he hit the ground. The second time it was felt came when the other person fell on top of him.

"Ow." Hajime hissed as he felt sore spots now.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry." A soft voice said, a girl's voice. "I'm s-s-so sorry. I-I didn't m-mean to r-run into y-you. I was j-just going o-over some t-things in m-my head."

"No, it's fine." He decided to play it off with a light tone. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I'm to blame."

Hajime lifted his head to see a sight not to his expectations. The girl that had fell on him had pale white skin, dark purple hair with long and short segments, and eyes that looked purple, but he couldn't tell with such dim sunlight. The moment he met her eyes was when she met his eyes. They stared at each other.

It then occurred to the boy that a girl his age was on top of him, pressed fully against him.

A very cute girl.

 _No, c'mon man, get your head out of the gutter._ Hajime grimaced internally. _Now's not the time._

"I-I'm s-s-sorry!" The girl squealed louder. "You h-hate m-me already, don't you?!"

"W-What? No!" Hajime refuted immediately. "That's not it!"

"You c-can h-hit me i-if y-you like!" She almost sounded like she was begging. "I-I deserve it!"

"No, really it's fine!" Hajime felt the situation sliding downhill. "Please stop saying things like that."

"B-but I made you f-fall to the g-ground." She stuttered a lot it seemed. "I-I'm such a k-klutz."

She looked away from him with a look of shame adorned on her face.

Hajime's was truly in a bind as to what to do. This was not a sort of situation that he realistically expected to be caught in. Their position could easily be mistaken as something more than it actually was. A boy and a girl laying so close? He could talk to girls just fine, but getting physical with girls like what was happening now? He was far from that.

He felt a rise of panic.

Then he tried to regain control of himself. No, he needed to think about this situation as a perfectly sane person. It might not be the ideal way to go about this matter, but it sure as hell was better than being a jerk and leaving this poor girl alone, and he was no jerk.

"H-hey it's okay." Hajime forced his own self-consciousness down. "I'm not that kind of person. I swear."

"R-really?" The girl turned back to him with a timid yet hopeful expression. "Y-you s-still want t-to a-associate with me?"

"Look, it was just an accident." Hajime put both hands on her shoulders. "Did you or did you not intentionally cause this?"

"N-no!" She shook her head fiercely. "I d-didn't cause this intentionally."

"Then there's nothing to apologize for." He affirmed in his best serious voice. "So let's start over. My name is Hajime Hinata."

"... I'm Mikan Tsumiki." Her voice was fragmented. "I… hope that we can get along."

Hajime felt a bit of of a good feeling swell up in him. Friends for him were in short supply, and coming from a normal person, that wasn't a good thing. Normal people had friends to talk to. Hajime had none of these growing up. There were the occasional acquaintances and friendly faces, but true friends? There were none in his past high school, or his school life in general.

Hope's Peak Academy was turning his life around in so many ways other than his personal talent dilemma.

It was then that he noticed her uniform. She was his age, that much he realized at first glance, but now getting a look at her uniform, he saw that it was the same scheme and color that Chiaki wore. That could only mean…

"You're an Ultimate." Hajime breathed, unsure of what else to say.

"Yes, I am." A bit of pride surfaced in Mikan. "I'm the Super High School Level Nurse."

"That sounds incredibly useful." Hajime said while also trying to comprehend what he'd gotten himself into. "Um, I'm…"

He hesitated. He didn't want to say where he came from. It would be less painful to tell a small lie, but wouldn't that just create problems for him in the future? This was nothing small to lie about, at least not in his opinion.

"I-is that a R-reserve Course outfit?" Mikan asked timidly.

"Y-yeah, it is." Hajime blurted out, feeling more glum. "Small world, isn't it."

"Y-you d-don't look happy." Mikan asserted. "Is t-there something wrong with me?"

"No, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you." Hajime told her, though he wasn't sure mentally about her. "Also, can you get off of me?"

"AAAAAHHH!" Mikan jumped up in terror. "I-I-m sorry!"

"Please stop apologizing." Hajime rubbed himself off as best he could. "It's just bad luck, okay?"

She bowed her head and mumbled something that sounded like acceptance. It suddenly occurred to him that he had little idea what kind of people were in the main course. They were the best at what they did, and that meant that theoretically they should be confident people, sure of themselves, sure around others, nothing at all like what Mikan was showing.

Hajime pushed that to the back of his mind. Trying to be careful with his actions, he moved closer to the nurse. Some remnants of his own physical pain lingered, but for the sake of not breaking the moment, he ignored them.

"Mikan." Hajime spoke her name lightly. "I'm a person, just like you, okay? You can look at me as an equal."

Though her posture showed that she was tense, she dared to take his word for it and lifted her head. Even with her face in a fearful frame, she somehow looked all the more endearing.

Hajime couldn't help but smile.

Mikan could only stare back in awe.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Monday, July 19th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Nagito Komaeda's day had been fantastic. Today had been another fun-filled day with the class. All of their hopes had collided into one big singularity. It shined so brightly that it could be seen from outer space, he would say. Truly, there was nothing greater than hopes combining to form an even greater hope.

He was the Super High School Level Lucky Student without a doubt; to be able to participate in the hopes that his classmates displayed was beyond amazing. The experience would not be forgotten easily, though he hoped he wasn't overstepping his bounds by indulging too much. After all, they were the talented ones, the true hopes, not complete and utter trash like him. Still, he would be lying if he said that he wanted to stop the feeling. Even better yet, nothing terrible had happened to him today, so that was another win in his book.

To round out the day, he simply just stared at the building of the academy. This place represented hundreds of years of hope and talent. Few institutions in the world could claim to have lasted so long and with such an interesting history to elevate it. That was only just further proof that Hope's Peak Academy was perhaps the absolute symbol of hope in Japan and the world. Merely being able to physically take it in was wonderful.

Classes had ended hours ago. Nagito felt that classes were a bit useless for him. His luck could not be wielded nor could it be controlled. It was just there, something that affected his life in good and bad ways. Frankly, he wasn't sure what his practical exam would entail when the time came, but considering each year a single normal student was selected to be the Super High School Level Lucky Student, the school must have a way to measure luck.

Then all previous events of the day turned sour, forgotten from his mind once he got a good look at something he wished that he hadn't seen.

There was Mikan Tsumiki, the Super High School Level Nurse, a truly worthy student with a truly worthy talent, talking to a boy. Normally, this wouldn't be something worth getting worked up over, yet when it came to normal people, Nagito could only shake his head in pity and in disgust. Normal people clung to talent, hoping that they too could be considered talented and join the ranks of the elite, a fantasy.

The boy looked perfectly average. Average in height, average in looks, average in everything at a glance for that matter, but adding insult to injury was that his school uniform indicated that he was a Reserve Course student, a lowly high school student who had paid his way into the academy, not a Main Course student who had earned the right to come to the school.

The girl and boy parted ways, both of them looking pleased. No, this would not do at all. Ultimates had unique gifts. Any idiot could give money to attend the Reserve Course, and that's what was worrying.

Nagito made up his mind to do something, so he moved to intercept the student that was even more worthless than him.

"Hey, you there." He called out harshly. "The Reserve Course kid."

That seemed to seize up the boy as he slowly turned his gaze to the white-haired boy. Both of them locked eyes, and for a moment, it was a staredown that was their first introduction in place of words.

"Can I help you?" The dark-haired boy asked.

Nagito got up close and personal. He needed to make his point abundantly clear so that it would burn into his target's mind. Invading personal space was a perfect way to leave a more lasting impact.

"What's your name?" Nagito demanded fervently.

"It's Hajime Hinata." The boy declared with a guarded expression. "And you are?"

"The name is Nagito Komaeda." Nagito replied curtly, narrowing his eyes. "Let's get one thing straight. You're a nobody, a talentless, worthless person."

"Excuse me?" Hajime questioned with a hint of annoyance.

"You're only here because of money." Nagito laid it all out. "You have no talent, and you never will. Don't think that just because you can talk to Ultimates means that you're even close to their worth. They got here by their own merits. You paid money, and anyone can do that."

"You're an Ultimate." Hajime looked him up and down in understanding. "You're from the Main Course."

"Right on the _money_." Nagito took care to emphasize the last part. "I'm the Super High School Level Lucky Student."

"Wait, that's a talent?" Hajime looked taken aback.

"It is to the school." Nagito smiled sadly. "But not one that can hold a candle to true talent. I tried to decline. I was just a normal high school student once, but how could I refuse the school?"

"Hypocritical much?" Hajime regarded Nagito. "You jus-"

"The difference between you and me?" The Lucky student cut him off. "I was chosen by this academy. You weren't."

"You don't know a thing about me." Hajime's brow furrowed. "And yet you can claim that I'm worthless?"

"Hope's Peak Academy would've recognized you if you were exceptional." Nagito explained as if it were obvious. "But you're not if you're in the Reserve Course. Accept that fact and know your place."

"And where is my place?" Hajime stared him down. "Who are you to judge me?"

"I'm an Ultimate." Nagito threw back with a sneer. "Although my title is a fickle thing, it was given to me by Hope's Peak, and their acknowledgement makes me far greater than the likes of you."

Two pairs of eyes beamed at each other.

"And if you think that hard work will get you anywhere, you're wrong. Hard work and effort? It doesn't breed success. That's a lie passed down for generations."

Nagito expected a more angered reaction, yet the only response was a restrained look of indignation along with the clenching of fists. It would seem that this one thought that he was above his kind and could become something more. Nagito's words hadn't set in, so his job wasn't done yet.

"You admire hope and talent, but you can't have either." Nagito commented almost idly. "You cling to the Ultimates, hoping that they will recognize you, hoping that you might gain talent, but the world isn't like that. You're either worthy or you're not. It's decided for you the moment that you're born."

"You saw me and Mikan." Hajime realized what this was about.

"Mikan Tsumiki is my classmate, and someone that is truly laudable." Nagito closed the distance. "To see someone like her associate with someone like you? It makes me sick and reminds me of just how much normal people taint this world. It's a shame that her delicate personality prevented her from pushing you away."

"..." Hajime remained silent, but terse-looking.

"What's this? Have you realized what you're meant to do?" Nagito asked while watching. "You've finally come to your senses about what is and what is not?"

"..." Still no response from the Reserve Course Student.

"I guess I'll take your silence as a sign of acceptance." Nagito straightened up and backed away. "I would say good day, but I think both of us are far from pleasantries. Get on with your life and stop meddling."

Feeling satisfied that his point had been made in full, Nagito decided to head back to the dorms to relax before he got some sleep. He seriously was tired and bothered by having to do this, but it was better that he do it rather than his superiors. Why let the Ultimates do this dirty work when he could?

He took some steps in the opposite direction.

"...I agree with you."

Those four words made the Lucky student stop in his tracks. Did this piece of garbage just affirm what had been told to him?

"Come again?" Nagito glanced from the corner of his eyes. "I didn't hear that."

"I agree with you." Hajime countered with more volume in his voice. "I know that I'm a talentless average person. I've been saying that to myself for years. I've been told that by everyone around me for years. You're not telling me something that I don't already know myself."

Those were just the words that Nagito wanted to hear.

"... but you know what?" Hajime sounded more lighthearted. "Sometimes, I don't want to be talented or gifted."

...

Now that was something novel to hear: a nobody who didn't want talent? Everyone wanted talent. Talent signified superiority, and humans craved superiority. Just what was this student going on about?

"I didn't go up to Mikan because I wanted to mooch off of her status or her talent." Hajime's words poured through confidently. "I didn't even expect to meet her. It was just good luck that I did."

Good luck was it? What a funny joke.

"And yeah we normal people may not have talent, but there's one thing we do share in common with the Ultimates." Hajime adopted a serious look. "We're all Human beings, and thus we're all subject to emotions, feelings, wants, and needs, and that's what I was after. Not talent, not acceptance, just wants, needs, emotions, and feelings."

That was the last thing before the brown-haired teenager turned and walked off, effectively shutting down the conversation, and throughout it all, the white-haired teenager could only sit on what he had heard.

 _We're all human._ Nagito repeated those words in his head. _We're all human._

How had this worthless person wormed his way into his head? It didn't matter what all people shared. There was no equality in the world, and there never would be. For scum to claim that they were all equal in any capacity?

That was possibly the worst insult to Hope's Peak Academy and all of the Main Course itself.

Hajime Hinata of the Reserve Course was determined to be a stubborn fool thinking that he would become someone important, someone beyond his capabilities.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 20th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

Chisa took in a breath and let it out. Although the weather could stand to be better, at least it wasn't raining. She had just gotten done doing some preliminary work for the day and was getting ready to see her class.

Chiaki Nanami, despite stating that she didn't want to be the class representative sure did take her job seriously. The gamer girl might not even realize that she had an affinity for leadership that starkly contrasted her calm and seemingly aloof attitude. The new homeroom teacher had no doubt that the sleepy girl was already hard at work coming up with ideas for class events to do.

Perhaps the homeroom teacher ought to have paid attention to the weather and what it might signify for the day's events. Not all days would be great days, though she would try her best. Her first indicator of something bad was when she entered the courtyard, there was Hajime Hinata, standing at the central fountain of the courtyard with a look.

"Hajime, good morning." Chisa greeted him warmly regardless.

"Miss Yukizome, good morning." Hajime tried his best to smile, although it was strained. "Are you heading to class?"

"I was, although class doesn't start for a bit." Chisa replied while maintaining a friendly face. "What's on your mind today? Did something happen. A dilemma maybe?"

"Is it that obvious?" Hajime chuckled nervously.

"You're not exactly making an effort to hide what you're feeling." Chisa pointed out to him. "So what's on your mind today? It looks like something's got you bogged down real good."

"Well, it's complicated. I honestly don't know what to do." Hajime looked at the ground in thought. "I was just getting some confidence and then it got blown away."

"What blew it away?" Chisa inquired with much interest.

"Yesterday, I unexpectedly met this girl." Hajime struggled to think of her name. "Mikan, was it?"

"Mikan Tsumiki." Chisa instantly caught on. "The Super High School Level Nurse, and my student."

"Your student?" Hajime looked at her strangely. "Amazing coincidence. First Chiaki, now Mikan."

"Who knows?" Chisa shrugged, though not in a nonchalant way. "Coincidence, destiny, it's a bit early to be calling it anything."

"She's nice, if not a bit timid." Hajime recalled the encounter. "I got this feeling that she's been getting the wrong kind of attention, you know?"

"You're not wrong on that part." Chisa felt her smile drop. "That girl has been the subject of much abuse throughout her life, hence her hesitation to meeting new people."

"I don't know what happened in the moment." Hajime rubbed his hair a bit. "I just felt bad for her, so I thought maybe I could be her friend. I said that I wanted to be her friend, but she seemed afraid of me."

"It's a natural response for her, I'm sure." Chisa tried to explain better. "She hasn't had much opportunity to meet people that are true and loyal friends."

"I figured as much. I just hope I haven't committed to something I'm not ready for yet."

"Everyone will do that at one point in their life, Hajime. We're never truly ready for everything, but we've still got to move on in life."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Chisa noted that Hajime was far less gloomy than yesterday, but he was not bright and cheerful either. It was a crude mix of positives and negatives that were adorned on his features. This could only confirm his wavering confidence, the inability to decide what made sense for him and what didn't. That made her ask one question: what would give him the confidence he needed?

"Well, I met Mikan, then I bumped into another Ultimate. Nagito Komaeda, I think he introduced himself." Hajime looked unhappy with that name.

"Nagito." Chisa blew some air out. "Now there's a boy who's a real challenge. Let me guess, he disapproved of you being near the ultimates?"

"That's the nice version." Hajime balled his fist. "I mean, sure I know that I don't have the talents of the Ultimates, but did he really have to rub it in? I felt like I was talking to an elitist snob."

"Well, I wouldn't hold it against him." Chisa gently grasped Hajime's shoulder. "Nagito hasn't exactly had what one would call a stable life."

"It figures as much." Hajime seemed uninterested in knowing more about Nagito. "Still, there's always a weird one in any bunch."

"Maybe you're right on that." Chisa played it off as best she could. "Still, if you can change his mind, you can change anyone's mind."

Again, it was merely bait for him and even though she didn't think he would take the bait, he might still reconsider in the future. It could be considered an underhanded method to use his issues of self-confidence to influence his decisions, but at least she had good intentions in mind, or at least she hoped that was the case.

More importantly, it sounded like that he was at least trying to get a bigger picture and try to make a decision, and in the process of finding himself, she was able to get a better picture of him herself.

Chisa had first associated Hajime with Kyousuke due to their rather no-nonsense attitude, though she could say that the former was more light-hearted than the latter, but then again, she could recall the latter being a bit more optimistic in his youth. However, despite these similarities, the differences between the man of her affection and the boy of her curiosity were coming to light.

Hajime chose to look at the world through the eyes of others. He valued the opinion of others, especially those that he perceived as his better. Kyousuke valued his own judgement due to self-assurance; there were few times where Chisa could say that he had to rely on others to accomplish things.

Also, Kyousuke was a bit more optimistic, more determined. He was a man who set his sights upon ambitious goals and committed to them. Hajime seemed to be far more on the fence about where he stood. There were positives, and there were also negatives. Both carried meaning, and he rejected neither one as a result.

"In any event, I've been wondering." Chisa returned to the conversation. "If you don't care for the Reserve Course much, why stay?"

"I have to know for certain." Hajime said in grim determination. "Is there truly no hope for me here? Is there a chance to turn things around?"

"What things?" She demanded in a soft tone.

"Personal things. Apologies, Miss Yukizome, but I'd rather not talk about them if you don't mind." He turned his head away. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course." She decided to agree, but kept in mind to pursue this topic in more subtle ways in the future. "So how are things with Chiaki?"

"Pretty good, which is about the only thing I can say for certain." He finally displayed a true smile. "She's a bit of an odd duck, but she's cool. We went to the arcade a couple of days ago."

"And how did that go?" Chisa had an idea, but she wanted to see what he would say.

"Well, I didn't expect to beat the Super High School Level Gamar at her own game, no pun intended." Hajime's expression remained positive. "Still, it was fun to play with her. I can count on seeing her at least a few times during the week, and having some happiness is a good thing considering everything."

"You seem pleased with spending time with her." Chisa pointed out with a smirk. "Have you finally taken my advice on friends and memories?"

"Would it stop that look on your face?" Hajime lightly jabbed at her. "You may be a teacher Miss Yukizome, but you're also devious when you want to be."

"Whatever do you mean, Mister Hinata?" She played along by acting innocent. "I'm just a homeroom teacher."

"'Just a homeroom teacher.'" He repeated her words with a snort. "I think you're a lot more than that."

Now this was something new to him that the former Ultimate hadn't quite expected, but it was nothing unpleasant. If anything, this could be an opportunity for her to get to know him better. All she had to do was offer an olive branch.

"Well, stick around and I might just tell you a thing or two about me." Chisa offered him, reverting back to a smile. "I don't have to be just a teacher to you."

The sudden guarded look that Hajime gave her had her a bit clueless, but then she realized just what his mind might be thinking, and if she thought about it further, it wasn't that difficult to see why.

"Oh, don't give me that look." She scolded him with hands on her hips. "I was being serious about being friends, you know."

He still retained his look, and this time, the housekeeper began to ask herself if maybe he was giving her that look for a different reason.

"I've got to get to class." He appeared to be in a rush. "Thank you for the talk, Miss Yukizome."

"Before you go, I want to give you this." She grabbed his arm. "Open your hand."

Hajime puzzled at this request, but carried it out. He held out his free hand, and she gave him an official Hope's Peak Academy card. His eyes searched it and his eyes widened in obvious surprise.

"Why would you give me your contact info?"

"Because I want to. I wasn't joking about being friends with you. Just contact me if you feel the need or want. You know I'm here to help, even if you aren't one of my students."

"Um, thank you then." He bowed. "I… should go."

"Then get going, kiddo." She waved him off. "Hope your day goes well."

Yep, the Reserve Course student was taken off guard by this gesture. He must be trying to go through all of the reasons why she would do this for him when she was under no obligation to do so, particularly when they were of two distinct branches of Hope's Peak Academy.

More excitingly, she had him reeled in, hook, line, and sinker.

* * *

 **I got into this story primarily for my own fun, but the support so far has been very uplifting, so thanks to all of you for that.**

 **Writing this chapter was both fun and tough. Nagito's section may be slightly exaggerated, though I believe's it's not out of the realm of possibility. I'm guessing most of you know what his attitude is towards normality, so his relationship with Hajime is going to be far from ideal. If anything, that makes it more interesting to write about.**

 **I got different responses when it came to romance options. All of provide me with something interesting to consider, but nothing is certain right now, so continue to leave your romance choice for Hajime in your review. So far off the top of my head, I got Natsumi Kuzuryu, Mikan Tsumiki, and even Nagito (though I think Hajime leans more towards girls).**

 **If you guys want to see more chapter, please leave a review and hit the favorite and follow buttons too.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading.**

 _ **"There is nothing permanent except change."**_

 **Heraclitus**


	3. Natsumi's Nerve, Mahiru's Musing

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 3: Natsumi's Nerve, Mahiru's Musing

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Reserve Course Building**

 **Wednesday, July 21st, 2010**

 **Lunch Break**

Natsumi Kuzuryu couldn't stand the Reserve Course students. All of them were just so… simplistic. None of them had any desire to be more than what they were now. It didn't matter what part of Hope's Peak that they were part of as long as it was Hope's Peak name that they could put on their transcripts. Didn't they know what this school was all about? It was about the talented people, the really important people, not them, the plain and boring people. Were they idiots or did they lack ambition? Probably both, she'd wager. These normal kids had absolutely nothing she wanted from them. They could all just bite her for all she cared.

She hated the Reserve Course. It was a mere shadow in the face of the Main Course. Those kids were the real deal. They were what she wanted to be a part of. That was where she belonged.

And yet she was here.

For the first few days of being in the Reserve Course, she talked to nobody, and no one talked to her, just how she wanted it to be. She was formulating a way to get into the Main Course. She didn't have time to waste on the worthless. All that being said, she still hadn't come up with a plan that sounded reasonable or possible. She had considered so many avenues, none of them very promising due to how violent they could get. Violence alone didn't bother her, but she wasn't stupid. She could get expelled if she did something like that here.

If she wanted to get into the Main Course, she would have to play by Hope's Peak Academy's rules, as annoying as that was.

Natsumi furrowed her brow and blew out a breath from her mouth. A few students looked her way, and she glared daggers at them, something that made all eyes look somewhere else, anywhere other than her. She knew that her reputation among the Reserve Course students was at the very least awkward if not outright terrible. Everyone knew the name Kuzuryu and anyone who valued their life would stay out of her hair.

Scheming aside, she wished that she could be with him right now. The two of them could blabber on and on about something interesting. With Fuyuhiko, she could always count on her boredom going away; whether one of them or both of them did something or some external force did something, there was never a dull moment when he was around.

She scanned the room which she was in.

That's when she spotted another boy dressed immaculately in his Reserve Course uniform. There wasn't anything remarkable about him nor was there anything undesirable about him. Just like most of the other students here, he was average-looking, and that meant he was likely average internally too, but it wasn't his looks or what she thought was inside that caught her attention.

Instead of socializing with the others in the class or trying to interact, he sat alone at the back of the class, staring at the Main Course building.

Natsumi had done more than her fair share of staring at the building where the Main Course students studied, and she most definitely knew that look. It was a look of longing and admiration. So close, but so far.

She made up her mind. She got off the wall she was leaning on and walked towards the brown-haired boy.

"Hey, you." She tried to get his attention, but he didn't even notice her as he stared out the window.

Okay, maybe his staring was more intense than hers.

"Hey, fuckwit." She bonked him over the head.

"Ow." He grunted, though he didn't sound too hurt. "What the hell?"

"If you keep staring at the main building, you're gonna burn a hole in it." Natsumi crossed her arms. "So, what's your deal?"

He glowered at her like she had insulted him. She took note of that.

"And why do you care?" He challenged her back. "The way you introduced yourself to the class seemed to give off the impression that you wanted nothing to do with any of us."

"I'm bored honestly." Natsumi shrugged. "You don't look like you've got friends either. That makes two of us. So, you got a name?"

"It's Hajime Hinata." He stated.

"Man, that's a boring name. I bet I could find ten people with that exact name too." Natsumi wrinkled her nose. "Seriously, that's your name?"

"Yeah, that's my name, and thanks for reminding me about how painfully average I am." Hajime growled at her words.

He called his name painfully average, as if he wasn't proud of being average. Did that mean he wanted to be a part of the Main Course too? Of course he did she surmised.

"Well, at least you've got enough sense to steer clear of these losers." Natumi could only gesture to the rest of their class. "A waste of space if you ask me."

"You've got high standards." Hajime remarked, chewing on his sandwich. "Not everyone does."

"They're not worthy of my attention." Natsumi declared haughtily. "I am a member of the Kuzuryu Yakuza Clan. So is my brother; we're better than anyone here by a longshot."

"Wait, the Kuzuryu Clan?" He reeled back. "You're one of them?"

"Oh, yeah." She smirked proudly. "My bro's the Super High School Level Yakuza."

"... that's a talent?"

"School said so, so hell yeah."

"I'm guessing that people skills aren't your forte." Hajime deadpanned. "I can barely get through this conversation. Everyone else would probably just stop listening at this point. You really ought to tone it down."

"You'll forgive me if I'm not taking your advice." Natsumi sneered and rolled her eyes. "Why would I want to talk to anyone who's not at my level?"

Yes, this Hajime kid was different from the others. Somehow, he was unafraid of her

"Well, your attitude is one-of-a-kind, I'll give you that." The brown-haired boy observed. "But do you even have a plan to get into the Main Course?"

"It's really simple." The blonde-haired girl scoffed. "All I have to do is prove that I'm worthy, and what better way than to get one of the Ultimates out of the picture?"

Natsumi was fully aware that not all Ultimates were created equally. Some had more useful talents than others. She had heard there was a thing called the Super High School Level Lucky Student, a high-school selected by a lottery. That wasn't a talent no matter how it was sliced. On the other hand, her brother's status meant something. People feared the Kuzuryu family, and with good reason. Why not used the family name to inspire a sliver of fear into some hearts?

"You clearly haven't thought this through." Hajime critiqued her without any hesitation. "Hope's Peak won't tolerate students bashing skulls in."

"Well, it's a lot more than what you've got." She wouldn't stand for this affront, even knowing the futility of what she proposed. "All you've got is a gloomy face. That's pathetic."

"You're wrong." He looked at his desk longingly. "I've got… friends in the Main Course."

"You?" That was hard for her to believe. "Yeah, and flying pigs exist along with the tooth fairy."

He shrugged. "Believe it or not if you want, but it's true."

"Hmph." She scowled.

The two teenagers had a bit of a staredown. It had been some time since Natsumi had experienced anything like this. Most people were wary of her at the very least and scared at the very worst. Hajime had at least some balls. Not many people did.

"How about actually making some friends in the Main Course rather than taking them down?" Hajime suggested, albeit warily. "You'd be better off."

"Unlike some people, I'm not a goody two-shoes who believes in peace and happiness all the damn time." Natsumi just looked away from him in disgust.

"...why do you care so much about getting into the Main Course?"

That was a question that she expected him to ask much earlier in their conversation. It was a somewhat unoriginal question, but it was an important one all the same, and for once, she wasn't inclined to turn away.

"I think you know perfectly well." Natsumi's edge began to ebb. "Talented people hang with each other. That's just how the world works. My brother is the Ultimate Yakuza. I need to be in the Main Course to be able to stand beside him. If you don't have anything special, you get left behind, that's the bottom line."

Her hands gripped the edge of the desk she was sitting on. She wanted to hit something really hard. She had called herself weak, and the Yakuza didn't do that, lest they wish to die young and in pain. It was worse that she bared one of her insecurities to a stranger that she hardly knew. Maybe the fact that he was average and forgettable made it okay.

"...I get it." Hajime sounded more than sympathetic. "The feeling of a greater destiny, the feeling that you're better than what you've got. I look at the Main Course and I wonder why I can't be one of them. I know that I can be better than normal."

Natsumi inclined her head towards Hajime, and she noted his stiff posture as he sat, his restrained frustration behind his eyes, his clenched fists. There on his features was a face that spoke of a desire which mirrored her own.

It was the desire to rise and become a someone.

"Mahiru!" An overly familiar voice sounded. Sato

"Sato." Another familiar voice. Mahiru. "I'm still here. Nothing's changed."

Natsumi felt ire rise up. That worthless photographer and her lovestruck lapdog were always an unwelcome sight. If those two didn't get the hell out of her sight and out of her range of hearing-

"Everything okay?"

Natsumi remembered that she was talking to Hajime, and in act that could only be called uncharacteristic, she felt her resentment leave.

"...it's nothing."

It wasn't worth her energy.

* * *

 **Hope - - -Despair**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 21st, 2010**

 **Early Afternoon**

Mahiru Koizumi looked through her photos on her camera. So far today, she had managed to get a few dozen pics or so, most of it nothing more than simple school life at Hope's Peak Academy. She chuckled at the word "normal." That was not an apt term to describe her life right now.

Fifteen students, including herself. Everyone had a very distinct personality, which made for some very engaging relationships and events. Even since Miss Yukizome had gotten them all together, there were no more sluggish days.

On the one hand, that was good for the Super High School Level Photographer. She now had access to plenty of good photo opportunities. There were also the new friends that she had made. She had found many connections with several of the girls.

That said, she appreciated some of the more normal moments. She spent time with Sato at least once a day. The girl was one of the last ties she had to her old life before coming to the academy. It was certainly something to be happy about for sure, but it did bring up a question.

"Did she come here for Hope's Peak Academy, or to be close to me?" Mahiru talked to herself as she ran through the possibilities. "I'll have to ask her next time."

Having just recently finished lunch break, she was now on her way back to class. No doubt Miss Yukizome had something going on, and if that wasn't the case, then Chiaki would have a plan.

She entered into the main building of the academy, once again reminding herself of where she was. She was named the Super High School Level Photographer by Hope's Peak. The best school in all of Japan scouted her and determined her worthy of the title, so she ought to feel worthy herself.

Mahiru wished she could feel proud of herself as much as her mother was proud of her.

Nevertheless, she did her best to get her energy up so that she could be the classmate that everyone deserved. She found herself releasing a breath out of relief, though she was expecting something different.

Instead of a semi-full classroom, there was only one other person in the classroom, and that was Chiaki, who was playing on her Game Girl.

"Oh hey, Mahiru." Chiaki waved one hand. "What's up?"

"Hi, Chiaki." Mahiru waved back politely. "Same old, same old, I guess. Where's everyone else? It's almost time for class."

"We've still got fifteen minutes." Chiaki's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. "Well, fourteen."

Mahiru gazed at the clock, and to her dismay, the class representative was right. How had she not noticed something like that? If she had known that she still had time, she would have stayed a bit longer with Sato.

"Strange, I thought it was almost time for class." Mahiru checked the time on her school-issued handbook. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter."

The red-haired girl moved to take her seat, and then she spotted something in the gamer girl's face.

Being a photographer had honed her ability to pick out details big and small. Without an eye for detail, her pictures wouldn't come out they way they were now; using that ability of hers, Mahiru saw something in her peer's eyes.

Chiaki was acting almost like her normal self, but instead of a sleepy or indifferent look, there was a frown that marred the girl's features. Granted, it was a small thing to see, but it did create an overall image that was different than the norm.

"Hey, Chiaki, are you feeling okay?" Mahiru decided to venture. "You look… different right now."

Chiaki concentrated harder on the game in front of her, and for a second, Mahiru thought that she had unintentionally brought up something that was a sour topic. Then the tension broke into pieces as the sound of a game ending blared. The handheld console fell flat onto the desk it was previously being held over.

"I ate lunch alone." Chiaki put her arms flat on her desk. "I didn't get to eat with Hajime."

"Hajime?" Mahiru questioned further. "Is that a friend of yours?"

"Yeah, he is." Chiaki laid her head on the desk next. "He's in the Reserve Course, so nothing like us."

"Yeah, I hear that. I've got a friend in the Reserve Course too." Mahiru felt more comfortable with the conversation. "Her name is Sato. We were in the same middle school before coming to Hope's Peak."

"That must be nice having a friend from your old school. I haven't known Hajime for nearly as long."

"How long have you known him?"

"I only met him last week."

"And that's enough for you to call him a friend?"

Not that Mahiru wanted to doubt Chiaki's judgement, but this sounded a little too fishy. A boy and a girl becoming friends so fast? In her experience, friendships took far more time to develop, wholesome ones at any rate.

"Well, I wouldn't say that I know him on a deep level, but he's cool." Chiaki's droopy face was replaced with a smile. "He plays games with me, he knows some of my favorite games, and… well I just like being around him. I'm not really sure how to put it."

Whatever Mahiru's thoughts on this relationship, it was clear where Chiaki stood, and maybe it wasn't a good idea to doubt her class representative. The gamer girl was more than capable of taking care of herself when push came to shove. The subject was probably hitting a little too close to home for comfort for the redhead. That had to be the reason why this left a bad taste in her mouth.

"If you're worried about him doing something, then don't." Chiaki seemed to read Mahiru's thoughts. "Hajime doesn't have the guts or nerves to try anything. If anything, I'm the one hold all the strings."

"Sure, if you say so." Mahiru was caught off guard by this declaration. "I was just… it sounded-"

"Convenient? Easy? Unlikely?" Chiaki listed off. "I understand, but really, there's nothing to worry about. I like his company anyway."

A slight tinge in the pink-haired girl could be seen. Her expression was also far brighter compared to when they'd first started this conversation. The girl seemed really into this Hajime guy. He must be decent enough.

"Well, I hope… that it works out."

"I hope it does too. So what about you and your friend, Sato was it?"

"Oh, we've been friends since middle school. We were in the photography club and we just hit it off almost immediately. I remember the day like it happened yesterday. She noticed that I knew my stuff, so she asked me for my help. Ever since then, it's been smooth sailing."

"Does she have any other friends besides you?" Chiaki inquired, interest evident in her voice.

"Actually, she gets along pretty well with Mikan, Hiyoko, and Ibuki." Mahiru conveyed automatically. "It's probably a good thing she's got them too. I don't know what she was thinking following me to Hope's Peak."

"Hmm." Chiaki looked to be contemplating. "She must really value your friendship."

"I just hope she's not too reliant on me." Mahiru chuckled somewhat uneasily. "I mean, besides me and the girls in our class, she's got no one else, not even in the Reserve Course, or so my knowledge says."

Now that she'd said that out loud, Mahiru took a step back and began to quickly analyze her entire friendship with Sato. They cared about each other very much, that wasn't in doubt for a moment, but there was something that was enough to halt the train of thought, and the fact that it hadn't come to her sooner made her hit her head against a metaphorical wall.

Sato had followed her from their previous school. That fact alone spoke enough volume about how much her friend valued what they had. No normal person would go out of their way to move to another school just to be with someone, even if that person was a good friend. There were things to think about like parents, living conditions, commitments, and other things. Life shouldn't be dedicated to following one person.

Unless there was a reason.

…

 _Wait, does that mean… no, that's not it._ Mahiru's mind came to a conclusion. _Does Sato… like me more than a friend?_

"Are you okay?" Chiaki's soft voice queried. "You're spacing out."

"W-what?" Mahiru quickly composed herself. "Yeah, just thought of something."

"Anything you want to share?"

"... I don't think it'll make sense to you. It doesn't make sense to me."

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 21st, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

"Hey, sis." Fuyuhiko nodded to his sister as he stood by the gate to the Reserve Course building. "Long time no see."

"Hey, bro." Natsumi answered back casually. "What's up?"

"... you feelin' okay?" Fuyuhiko stepped up and looked her up and down.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Natsumi's bite came back. "You want me to be in a bad mood?"

"Quit it with the attitude, alright?" He didn't want to deal with her moods. "I just wanted to see what's goin' on with you."

"Really? See what's goin' on?" She flipped her hair back. "In other words, you're here to make sure I don't fuck something up."

"That's not it."

"That's exactly it."

"Will you just listen to me?"

"No."

"C'mon, just listen, goddammit."

Natsumi seethed through clenched teeth, then turned her head away from him. Fuyuhiko knew this to be her stubborn side. Of course, when it came to family, she lessened her attitude; that didn't make her any less dangerous. She might not be the Super High School Level Yakuza, but she was still a member of the feared Kuzuryu Clan, a very feared member. He needed to approach this subject very carefully, otherwise he would be wasting both their time.

"I need you to be straight with me." Fuyuhiko crossed his arms. "What's your angle? You've gotta hate the Reserve Course."

"You said it yourself already." Natsumi replied, though she didn't face him. "I want into the Main Course."

"Please don't tell me you're going to off someone. That's gonna cause more trouble than we need."

"..."

He sighed. "So you do wanna kill someone, or you've thought about it."

"So what? A little blood's nothing. It's our way of life."

"Hope's Peak doesn't have to take us in." Fuyuhiko attempted to rationalize to her. "If we do something here, we're gonna get kicked out."

"Then I'll do it discreetly." Natsumi countered hotly.

"Do you even know how to do discrete?"

"God, why are you on my ass about this? It's not your business!"

"It kinda is. You're my sister, a member of the Kuzuryu Clan." Fuyuhiko felt his slipping patience. "We've gotta look out for each other."

"I don't need your help!" Natsumi shouted back. "I don't want your help!"

The male gangster bawled his fists and fought against his need to hit her. It wasn't uncommon for the two of them to come to blows when a conversation didn't go smoothly. They were merely following the example set by their parents. It might not be a healthy thing, but it was the way they chose to vent all of their anger.

No, he had to exercise control. They weren't in the safety of their home or isolated from prying eyes, where everything was fair game. They had to keep it down.

"Fine, then I won't ask." Fuyuhiko retreated for now, putting his arms back at his sides. "So… how are you holding up?"

"Where did that come from?" Natsumi glimpsed at him from the corner of her eyes. "First you wanna rail on me, then you wanna be all buddy-buddy?"

"It's a simple question, okay?" He was running out of ways to talk to her. "It is really such a weird question to wanna know how my sister's doing?"

"...no, it's not." Natsumi relented after a few seconds of silence. "I guess… I guess I should say hi. Haven't even done that since coming here."

"I was surprised that you wanted to come here. Why'd you do it?"

"Why not? You're here, so I might as well be."

He wasn't going to buy what she told him. Because he was here, one way or another, she felt the need to be here too. She had calmed down, but if she wasn't going to talk even when in a calm state, then he would have better luck trying to get Peko to stop calling him young master.

 _Guess small talk's all I've got._ Fuyuhiko deduced. _Things could be worse._

"Look, I know better than to think that you're here just because I'm here. I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but I hope you're doing this for yourself, not for me."

"Why else does anyone come to Hope's Peak? Everyone's in it for themselves."

"That's not always the case." He disagreed with her.

"Speaking of which, what's up with you and Peko?" She sounded more invested in their chitchat. "Is she still shadowing you?"

"I told her not to." Fuyuhiko grumbled lowly. "So far, she's done what I said."

"You sound like you're expecting her to disobey you."

"Well, we talked a bit today about you. She offered to get to the bottom of your business. I put a stop to that idea."

"Typical her."

"Yep."

Fuyuhiko felt himself relax. It felt good to be talking to his little sister. He could be far more open with her than with his classmates. Even he and Peko had kept their interactions to a bare minimum, and though it was for her own good as well as his, his days could get awfully lonely without someone he could talk to freely. He had nothing against his fellow Ultimates, but he just couldn't connect.

Knowing this about himself, he could only guess that Natsumi felt as lonely as him. She was even more aggressive than he was. That left her with few people to call friends aside from Peko. Additionally, her ego knew no bounds, and that applied to virtually everyone in the world. If her combative demeanor didn't make people turn the other, then her arrogance would certainly do that.

Still, she wanted company too, just like he did.

"You got anyone to talk to besides me?" Fuyuhiko dared to wonder. "I'll talk when I can, but Reserve Course kids can't go onto the main campus."

"...there's one guy." Natsumi admitted, albeit reluctantly to his ears. "Out of all of the dumbasses there, he's the least boring."

That was one of the nicest things that a person outside of the family could ever hear from Natsumi Kuzuryu. As far as Fuyuhiko knew, the number of people Natsumi considered to be tolerable could be counted on one hand.

"A guy?" Fuyuhiko didn't want to jump to conclusion. "You got a name?"

"Yeah, real easy name." Natsumi half-laughed, half snorted. "Hajime Hinata. That's as plain a name as you can get. On the surface, nothing special. Average looks, average height, might as well give him a prize for most average person in the world."

"Sounds like a decent enough person, even if boring." He commented. "But isn't that the kind of person that you avoid?"

"Normally, I would, but he's kinda hardcore about the Main Course too. I could see it in his eyes."

"So in other words, another nutjob like you." Fuyuhiko summed up. "Wonderful."

"First of all, I'm not crazy." Natsumi retorted hotly. "And I don't associate with crazy people. It's not good for my health. If anything, Hajime sounds like you when he lectures, only more polite."

"Well, glad to know your friend preference is at least sound."

"Shut up."

He chuckled at her childish attitude. He was used to far more harsh treatment from her, and he still called her sister despite all of the shit she'd put him through during their lives. He was under no illusion; she would revert back to her old self soon, but at least he could appreciate a somewhat normal conversation with her.

"So how's mom and dad?" Natsumi switched topics. "Have they killed each other yet?"

"Not yet." Fuyuhiko groaned at the thought of their parents. "They came so damn close a few months ago, or that's what the message from home said. I didn't get too many details on the showdown."

"Son of a bitch." She rubbed her eyes. "And I love watching their fights. It's one of the few things that's so entertaining."

"Speak for yourself." He shoved his hands down his pocket. "I wish they'd fuckin' get over it. The first hundred times was more than enough."

"You're such a softie, you know that?" She punched him in the shoulder. "Or has the academy made you go soft?"

"Dammit, I'm not soft." He denied furiously. "I'm just not as violent."

"Doesn't matter how ya say it." Her eyes rolled. "It still means the same thing to me."

Now that they had at least temporarily moved past the ugly business, they discussed small topics, anything from their childhood memories to the present day. Even as sun began to fall, they went on, just two sibling gangsters being siblings.

Fuyuhiko wouldn't voice his worries then, but he suspected that Natsumi was still trying to get into the Main Course. Her pride wouldn't allow her to accept anything but the very best position within the academy. That was her right and her decision to make, though he wished she'd just find a different path, something else other than just following the example of the Kuzuryu clan.

It was the only life that both of them knew well, but it would fall to him to head the clan once his parents either died or abdicated. His little sister shouldn't have to do what she was doing. She should have the freedom to do what she wanted.

But what if being an Ultimate was what she wanted?

And what about her new friend? Hajime Hinata.

He needed a face to put to that name.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Wednesday, July 21st, 2010**

 **Early Evening**

"Have you made a decision yet, sport?" The man on the other end questioned eagerly. "The deadline's coming up pretty quickly."

"Sadly, no." Hajime informed his father. "I've been… asking a lot of people for help. I'm getting conflicted answers. I feel so confused. What should I do, I keep asking myself."

"Well, I hate to be of no help, but it's not my decision." The elder man's voice carried out with sadness. "It's your future, Hajime. It's up to you. Personally, I'd take it, but it's a little late for me."

"So you want me to take it?" Hajime questioned.

"As your parents, we want the best for you." The reply came swiftly. "Sometimes, that means wanting you to do things that you don't want to do yourself. It's not for no reason however. It's just a fact of life; you've got to be prepared to put aside what you want to do for what you need to do. Better that we ease you into that frame of mind rather than the world dropping it into your lap."

"I don't think that this is the right comparison, dad." Hajime said as he adjusted the grip on his phone. "But I get your meaning."

"Well, like I said, son, it's not our decision, but your mom and I fully support you going to Hope's Peak, be it Main Course of Reserve Course."

"Even if it's costing so much?"

"For you, that cost is less important than your future and your happiness."

"I'm sorry for being so wishy-washy." Hajime played with his hair. "I just… this isn't something I can rush."

"... you said you've talked to some people about this, right?" The father recalled. "Weren't you supposed to keep this entire thing a secret?"

"I haven't actually talked about my involvement in the project." The brown-haired boy looked left and right as he crossed the street. "I have some… friends who are part of the Main Course, and I thought I'd get their opinions via general questions about how the view talent and all of that."

"Then keep digging." His dad persisted. "If you're friends with Ultimates, get to know them even more. Surely they know something that everyone else doesn't know, otherwise the school wouldn't scout them."

Hajime wanted to be more frustrated at his father. He wouldn't say it out loud, but at this moment, he didn't find the information useful. Then again, what was he suppose to expect from his parents? They certainly weren't miracle workers, and it was tough enough for them to keep him at the academy.

"You have to persist." Hajime heard some more words. "That's the only thing you can do. Try everything until something works. Take the time you need to think, but sooner or later, you'll need to take action."

Try everything until something works.

Take action.

Right…easier said than done.

* * *

 **Danganronpa V3 is coming out soon. How many of you have already pre-ordered it? I got it on Steam, but I don't think I'll be able to actually get to play it until much later. Ah well, the anticipation will make it all the more worthwhile. Here's to waiting.**

 **So I took a step back from Hajime and Chisa and let others take a bit of spotlight. Multiple perspectives, I hope, gives my readers the ability to come up with an idea of what will happen down the road. I believe I have an idea of what I'm leading up to, but once that main goal is fulfilled, I'll have to see where to go from there.**

 **In other news, I've contemplated a new story for Danganronpa, but due to time constraints, it's been put on hold. It's the same premise as the games while also combining aspects from the first and second game. However, most importantly, I want to include new motivations, things that haven't been seen in any of the games. For more details on that, see my story description on my profile page. The story name is called "A Song of Hope and Despair." You'll have to navigate through my long list of other story ideas to get to it. If anyone's got question about it, feel free to PM me about it.**

 **If you guys and gals want to see more love for this story, then don't forget to review, favorite, and follow. Remember, the more you guys support this story, the more it becomes a priority story in my books.**

 **I hope you guys all enjoyed this chapter.**

 _ **"Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there?"**_

 **Harold Pinter**


	4. Ibuki's Inspiration, Fuyuhiko's Faith

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 4: Ibuki's Inspiration, Fuyuhiko's Faith

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Main Course Building**

 **Music Room**

 **Tuesday, July 27th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Ibuki Mioda was lounging around.

"AAAWWW, it's no use!" Ibuki shouted as she strummed her guitar aimlessly. "Ibuki can't get a tune out, and here I woke up to an awesome day!"

True to her words, the sun was up and not a cloud dotted the sky. It should have been the ideal day for her to crank out a new rift or a baseline or a lyric. She was the Super High School Level Musician for crying out loud, and her mind was blank. Seriously, there had to be something wrong with her. How was she going to rock the world at this rate?!

"Maybe being in here isn't a good thing." Ibuki considered as she put down her instrument. "All this heat, it's gotta be cooking my brain. Yeah, that sounds about right. I need some fresh air!"

She casually tossed her guitar pick, put her guitar away and walked out the door with no destination in mind. Hell, she wasn't any good at making plans. She just did things and they either worked or they didn't work. Chiaki was better at plans than she was, and that's why the gamer chick was the class representative, not her.

The music girl began to hum a tune out of instinct, though she hadn't concocted a new idea yet. This was just to get some brain juices going. Who knew if she'd even come up with a new song or not. Things just came to her; she couldn't recall a time when she had intentionally planned out a song or anything musical. Well, maybe she did know the last time she'd planned out a song, but that was with her previous band, and they were long gone.

Now it was her and just her.

Ibuki stepped outside into the sun. She then began to run around as was her hubby. Running, she could do a lot of it.

"I got nothing!" Ibuki kicked a pebble along her path as she sang to herself in frustration. "This is not good. Ibuki can't be without inspiration! What would the world do without my music!? No, I know what would happen."

"CHAOS!"

And she couldn't let that happen. No, she needed to come up with something fast. She wasn't going to be at Hope's Peak forever, and by the time she graduated, she needed to make some new material. Ideally, a new album.

Her sprinting pace began to level out. She hadn't slowed and that told her that she had plenty of energy.

"Come on, Ibuki, you can do this!" The Ultimate Musician repeated to herself. "You've got this! YOU GOT THIS!"

She picked up the pace and began to just run wild. Her path was unclear. She just ran and kept on running. Leaving the main course building behind, she just took off going who knew where. Maybe she'd actually get to class, and maybe she wouldn't. It wasn't like any Ultimate was required to attend class, and for that Ibuki was grateful. Well, maybe homeroom was the one exception, but could that even be called a class?

Ibuki stopped and just did a bit of a twirl. Another spontaneous move to be sure, but she was all about spontaneous actions. That's how a good chunk of her best work came out anyway, and she wasn't particularly good at remembering things unless it was hammered into her head constantly, which was annoying most of the time. She just needed to continue being volatile; it didn't matter if it was physical or mental, she'd come up with something sooner or later. She was so close to a breakthrough that she could feel it in her bones. A little more time, and she'd be hit with a lightning bolt of inspiration.

"YAHOOOO!" Ibuki shouted to the sky. "Inspiration come to me! Ibuki know that you're out there!"

She began to sprint again, this time, putting even more energy into it. Her brain felt sluggish right now. She had to get her thoughts going at a million miles a minute and then an idea would come to her, or maybe a lot more than one idea.

So she took a lap around Hope's Peak Academy.

Then two laps.

Then a few more.

By the time she had stopped to take a quick breather, she realized that she'd left the main course building behind her and was now facing the Reserve Course building.

"Huh, how did I get here?" Ibuki tilted her head on wonder.

She looked left, then she looked right. That was when she saw a brown-haired boy standing to the side staring at his phone and had earbuds on. Maybe he knew how she got here. Upon getting closer look at him, she saw he was wearing noise cancelling ear-buds, so she needed to be loud to get his attention.

"HEELLOOOO!" She greeted with all of her energy.

"Ah!" The boy sprang back a meter. "Jeez, don't do that!"

"Sorry about that, but I was wondering," Ibuki continued with her question, "Do you know how I got here?"

"W-wait, hang on a second." The boy quickly removed his earbuds and pocketed his phone before talking. "Okay, first, why did you jump me? Second, what did you say?"

"Well, you're wearing those earbuds that cancel noise." Ibuki just pointed out the obvious. "So of course Ibuki needed to be loud to get your attention."

"... you could have just tapped me on the shoulder." He replied with annoyance. "I would have responded to that."

"Nah, that's a boring way to get someone's attention!" Ibuki did a bit of a whine. "Anyway, to answer your second question, I asked if you saw how I got here?"

"I just saw you running laps around the Reserve Course like a crazy girl." He looked at her like she was weirdo. "I didn't know what to do, so I just let you do your thing."

"Oh, okay." Ibuki pondered what he had just said. "Ibuki guesses she has more energy than she realized. No, maybe it's hot air. If I energy, I'd be on fire with inspiration. INSPIRATION!"

He jumped backed again at her enthusiasm.

"Are you… referring to yourself in third person?" The boy's voice sounded.

"Yeah, Ibuki does that a lot, but I can talk normally." Ibuki decided to greet herself. "Names's Ibuki Mioda. In case you didn't know, I'm the Super High School Level Musician."

"That sound awesome." He noted her talent as if he wasn't sure what to say. "No pun intended by the way. I'm Hajime Hinata. I'm… a Reserve Course student."

"Ah, I see, I see." Ibuki closed her eyes and crossed her arms in thoughts. "Hmmm."

She hummed a bit as she let this information process in her brain. A Reserve Course student had no talent, or at least no particular affinity for anything particular. Most normal people were like clean slates, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Clean slates could be written on, filled with things.

Wait a minute. She had an idea.

"Say, quick question of my own." Ibuki stepped closer to him with a grin. "Are you in any clubs?"

"Um, no." Hajime looked a bit uneasy about the distance between them. "Why do you ask?"

"Because that's the right answer!" Ibuki cheekily shouted. "That means you should join Ibuki's Music Club! It's tons of fun and everyone's joining a band these days!"

"...but I don't know anything about music." Hajime tried to argue. "I'm not even really into music much except a few things."

"If you're worried about being terrible, don't be." Ibuki had heard this response before. "Practically everyone in music starts out knowing nothing being terrible. If it makes you feel better, then you can just fake playing an instrument and have a song playing in the background."

"Wouldn't that be cheating?" Hajime slightly furrowed his brows. "I mean, should you even be saying that since you're the Super High School Level Musician?"

"When it comes to musicians, who are you going to listen to?" Ibuki put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "Some random person on the street, or me?"

"..." He looked like he was having a hard time with that question.

"Ah, it doesn't matter." Ibuki just grabbed his hand. "C'mon, follow MEEEEEE! We're going to the music room."

"W-wait! I'm a Reserve Course Student. They won't let me onto the Main Course campus grounds."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Ibuki paused only for a second, then got another idea. "I know, I'll ask Miss Yukizome if an exception can be made!"

"Miss Yukizome? She's your homeroom teacher?"

"Oh yeah, and she's pretty cool." Ibuki then stopped in thought. "Wait, you know who she is?"

"I've been… talking to her a lot lately." Hajime said. "Actually, it'd be accurate to say she talked to me first."

"Cool! That'll make convincing her easy! Let's GO!"

"Why do you even care about getting me to be a part of your club?" He was still resisting her. "I don't even have a talent!"

"So what?" She just shrugged her shoulders and did a slight frown. "You can still learn, and if I'm teaching, you're gonna be awesome no matter what!"

"...you're serious about this aren't you?"

"HELL to the YES!"

Yes, maybe this was what she had been missing all this time. She just needed a partner, someone to play music with. Even better yet, he didn't know anything about music, so she wouldn't have to worry about creative differences.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 27th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Fuyuhiko had given some thought to his conversation with his sister. He had to give it thought. Natumi was still crazy like she always was. For her to just stop being so wouldn't make sense not to mention scary. No, she would always be a little on the loco side.

But even she needed a stabilizing agent, something to keep her from going too insane, and he couldn't say that either of them had much of a stable life. Between his personal life and that of the Kuzuryu clan, neither he nor his little sister had ever had the ability to know what normality was like. He wondered what would happen if she were the Super High School Level Yakuza. Would he feel different than her? The same?

He supposed the one thing that he could thanks Hope's Peak Academy for was giving Natsumi the closest thing to a friend. She didn't have any of those in school or back at home before coming here, and now that she did have one, he wanted to know more about this boy. Natsumi might downplay the relationship, but the fact that someone had caught her attention and held it was nothing to ignore.

Fuyuhiko needed to get to the bottom of this mess. Decent guy or not, he needed to be sure that this friend was legitimately a good person. His sister was more than capable of twisting things if it suited her needs. She might be family, but even she could be hard to read. His instinct told him that he needed to do this.

Which was the reason why he was doing the one thing that he hoped that he wouldn't have to do: call on Peko for help.

"You summoned me master?" Peko asked him dutifully. "What do you require?"

"Peko, can you cut that out?" Fuyuhiko growled at her words. "I didn't call you so you could grovel. I called you because I've got something that I need you to look into."

"What do you need?" Peko managed to not say master again.

"Well, maybe I should start with this." Fuyuhiko took a breath out. "Natsumi is here."

"She's here?" Peko looked a bit surprised. "But I haven't seen her in the main building, so does that mean-"

"Yeah, the Reserve Course." He finished for her. "I have no idea why, but she wanted to come here, and the old man is footing the bill."

"You seemed worried." She picked up on that easily enough. "Is she okay?"

"Okay? I don't think anyone involved in the yakuza can be called okay, but that's getting off topic." Fuyuhiko rubbed his eyes. "On the one hand, she's acting like her normal self: pushy, bossy, and all of that shit. On the other hand, she's got her eye on the main course, and she'll do anything to join us."

"She can't get away with anything here." Peko pointed out. "She'll be expelled."

"Yeah, I said that to her, but I don't know if she'll even listen to me… but there may be someone she will listen to."

"Who?"

"I've only got a name and a face. Hajime Hinata. He's another Reserve Course student. If you believe Natsumi, he's as average as one can get, yet he's also a fanboy for the Main Course."

"You want me to investigate him."

"I don't want to doubt my sister's judgement, but I've gotta this one time." Fuyuhiko looked up at the clear sky as he detailed his thinking. "She's never had a friend until now, so I've got to make sure her first friend is a good one. She might be a hardass, but she hates being alone."

"Have you told her that?" Peko inquired neutrally.

"No, of course not." Fuyuhiko deadpanned. "She'd never like what I was doing, but as her older brother, I've gotta look out for her."

"I understand." Peko stood up a bit straighter. "Are there any details you need specifically?"

"Just make sure the guy's intentions are good." Fuyuhiko relayed to the swordswoman. "Don't engage unless you have to."

"I will see if I can come up with anything by the end of the week." Peko declared with much conviction. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine. I didn't specify a timetable." Fuyuhiko said in a hurried manner. "That's all I needed to talk about."

"Hey guys. What's UUUUUP?!" The sound of Ibuki's voice carried out. "Oh, wait you guys are talking?! That's got weird painted all over it! WEIRD!"

Both the yakuza and the swordswoman turned their heads to notice that it was indeed Ibuki Mioda and she was dragging someone else with her. They immediately recognized the uniform. It was from Reserve Course.

"Nothing." Fuyuhiko turned his back to everyone. "What the hell are you up to? You know Reserve Course kids aren't supposed to be here."

"Ah, what the guards don't know won't hurt them." Ibuki reasoned out loud. "Right Hajime?"

"... I never agreed to this." The boy called Hajime deadpanned. "You know that if we're caught, I'm the one who's gonna suffer?"

"You're not gonna get far if you're timid." Ibuki voiced her opinion. "Live a little, take some risks! RISKS RULE!"

"I'd rather not take risks that potentially involve bodily and mental harm." Hajime retorted. "And could you stop shouting?"

"We'll get you there soon enough." Ibuki patted him on the back. "Anyways, what're you two doing talking? HHMM?!"

Was this the kid the same kid that his sister was interested in? If this was a different scenario, he would've gotten to the bottom of this instantly, but right now, he needed to maintain his demeanor.

"We weren't talking." Fuyuhiko denied on instinct. "You all can have fun."

"Hey don't stop on my account!" Ibuki chanted while still dragging her her new friend around. "Just keep talkin'."

Fuyuhiko ignored all of the musician's words and just left the scene immediately. There might be rumors soon, or maybe no one would care.

 _I can't rely on Peko._ The yakuza teenager thought. _Otherwise I'm not worthy of my title._

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 27th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Peko Pekoyama watched her master as he left. She kept up the appearance of a stern and serious girl who wasn't the least bit affected by Fuyuhiko brushing her off. She was her own person, and this was merely a conversation.

No, that wasn't what it was at all, and it hurt her to think that she was losing her purpose. A tool's only purpose was to serve its master without question.

 _No, stop thinking that way. Young master has given me a task._ Peko reoriented her mind. _I need to complete what has been ordered._

"Hey, Peko, what's up with you and Fufu?" Ibuki's lighthearted voice coaxed. "Oh, I know: you're both secretly buddy-buddy and you want it kept secret because it would make him look bad! Scandalous!"

 _That's surprisingly close to the mark._ Peko noted to keep an eye on Ibuki. _Excluding that least insinuation._

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Peko said something else entirely from her true thoughts. "Anyways, what are you doing dragging around a Reserve Course student. You do realize that you could get in trouble as well."

"Oh, I was just gonna go Miss Yukizome and see if she could get special permission for Hajime so he join my club." Ibuki explained with a smile. "Right, Hajime?"

"Again, I didn't agree to this." The boy called Hajime replied.

In any event, Peko wasn't going to snitch or anything like that. It wasn't her style, and as long as her master wasn't in danger, she saw no reason to impeded on anyone's business. So in the spirit of politeness, she introduced herself.

"In any event, my name is Peko Pekoyama." The silver-haired girl bowed. "I am the Super High School Level Swordswoman. It is nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah, it's nice to meet you too." He seemed timid as he introduced himself. "My name is Hajime Hinata."

So this was her target that she was to watch? He didn't appear threatening nor did he give off an aura that was a danger of any sort. For her young master's sister to take an interest in someone that didn't even give off any vibe of strength was odd to say the least.

"Well, intros are outta the way, so let's go." Ibuki pulled Hajime along. "See ya, Peko Peko!"

Peko bristled at the nickname, but didn't show it too much. "Very well."

For now, she would back down so as not to appear to pushy and arouse suspicion. She had until the end of the week to obtain meaningful insight into her target. She would have to trail her target once he left. There were over two-thousand students in the Reserve Course, so knowing where he would be was no easy task.

Thankfully, Peko remembered people quite well, so at least she had that going into this job. Dark brown hair, one large ahoge sticking out at the top of his head, green eyes, a normal build, and slightly taller than herself.

 _Hajime Hinata_. Peko recalled his name. _You are normal, yet… there's something I can't shake off about you._

Whenever her gut told her something, she never ignored it.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 27th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Chisa was in her office doing some paperwork. Although the semester was not over, practical exams were in the process of being made. In order to test each and every student that came to Hope's Peak Academy, each student needed a test that was uniquely suited to their talent. Standardized tests and subject-based tests were useless for the Ultimates, and because each test was made for a specific student, they took time to plan.

But for her, it wasn't just work. It was interesting to see what sort of tests her students would have to undertake. Currently, she was seeing to Nagito's Ultimate test. His test was among the more difficult to come up with seeing as luck was a very volatile talent, and even if Nagito's good and bad luck were more observable than other Super High School Level Lucky Students, his luck was still far from predictable.

Besides planning for the student's exams, there was also reporting to Kyosuke about her progress concerning getting to the bottom of the Reserve Course. All they really knew was that the money from the tuition fees were being poured into something secretive, something that few even knew about. A part of it was going towards the new campus being built overseas, but both of them would be foolish to believe that that was the only place where all the money went.

Given that there were 2,358 students enrolled in the Reserve Course, and considering the astronomical costs each student came with, what else could that money be used for? Campus renovations and upgrades, despite being significant, could hardly account for all of it.

In truth, she was still quite a ways away from finding out the truth, and her only real link to finding out was Hajime Hinata, one student out of the 2,358 students. To a normal person, that connection would be little more than an idle thing, something that had absolutely no connection to her investigation.

Chisa didn't like to think of it that way. To her, Hajime was a window into a more normal mindset. He saw the world as a normal person did, and his perspective was actually quite useful for comparison between the Reserve Course and the Main Course. That perspective might give her some insights as to what the higher-ups at Hope's Peak were planning.

There was also something else she couldn't pin down. Yes, Hajime was normal according to the standards of society, but unlike normal people who simply lived their life, he wanted more out of life. It was like he was normal, but that was only because that's the life he was born into, not because he wanted it. It was like he was in the wrong position in life and that he wanted to find where he truly belonged in the world.

"Miss Yukizome!" The sound of Ibuki's voice as the door opened caught her attention. "Can Hajime come jam with me in the music room?"

 _… wait, what?_ Chisa's thoughts halted. _Did I hear that right?_

The homeroom teacher received an even greater surprise when she saw that the Super High School Level Musician had dragged the very Reserve Course student in question with her into her office. How did Hajime even manage to get past security? It appeared from his face that he was aware of his predicament.

"Ibuki." Chisa slumped into her chair and sighed. "You do realize that Hajime can't be on the main campus grounds."

"Ah, it's okay!" Ibuki dismissed with a shrug. "It's not like he's causing any harm. Besides, there's a more important issue. I need a bandmate, and Hajime fits the bill!"

"And I keep telling you over and over again, I did not agree to this." Hajime deadpanned, though not putting up a fight. "I just happened to be nearby."

"Typical Ibuki." Chisa understood almost on instinct. "In any case, this is about Ibuki and her need for musical inspiration, right?"

"Righto, teach!" Ibuki sang with glee. "So can Hajime come into the main building so he and I can jam together? Can We!?"

Chisa took a moment to ponder all of her options.

Her first instinct was to get Hajime back to the Reserve Course. He was the most at-risk in this situation. He could possibly receive punishment for getting this far. No Reserve Course student had ever attempted to reach the main campus, but the rules were clear: all Reserve Course students had to stay on their side. Hajime's safety was her priority, even if he wasn't her student. She couldn't handle if he were to be punished for something that wasn't his fault in any way.

Then another idea popped into her mind, something she probably wouldn't have considered up until now. It seemed that more and more, he was becoming acquainted with her students and actually beginning to form bonds with them. It didn't matter if he was a Reserve Course student to them. It seemed that he was getting to know them now whether he liked it or not, with the exception of Nagito for now. Having him close to her could be her ticket to getting closer to the truth about the Reserve Course.

 _Plus, he's good company, even if a bit sharp at times._ Chisa thought. _I don't see the harm._

Getting the headmaster to agree to this might be a tad bit tricky. The man was hard to read at times, and she had nothing on his character. Also, if she took an interest in Hajime, and asked permission for him to come and go from the main campus, then she might be put under suspicion. Her cover could be blown.

But dammit, this opportunity was just too good to pass up.

"Ibuki, you really should've thought this through… but I'll see what I can do." Chisa finally spoke. "I don't guarantee anything, but I'll see if the headmaster is willing to accommodate this request."

"Thanks, Miss Yukizome!" Ibuki grinned widely. "Now, Hajime, let's go to the music room. AWAY!"

"W-wait a minute!" Hajime tried to stop them both. "We haven't gotten permission!"

It was too late as the colorful girl dragged her newest companion out of the office and moved towards the music room. Chisa got up to go after them, thinking the same thing as Hajime, a strange thing considering their differing mindsets.

"Hey, what was that all about?" Koichi Kizakura entered the office. "And was that a Reserve Course student?"

"Ibuki's taken an interest in Hajime." Chisa didn't feel the need to lie. "And that girl just doesn't care what'll happen. Consequences be damned, I guess."

"So… should I be worried?" He asked.

"You don't have to be." Chisa said. "I do, though. I need to talk to Jin about it. In the meantime, I've got to chase after those two."

Chisa swiftly said a farewell before taking off in a sprint. Knowing the main building inside and out, she was swift to make her way to where Ibuki would normally be if playing by herself. She wasn't exactly a quiet girl by any account. Finding her was the easy part. Making sure she didn't do anything else impulsive was another ballpark.

She took only a few minutes to reach the music room. The door was left partially open, and she looked inside.

"So, C'mon, what's your musical instrument?" Ibuki questioned quite aggressively. "Stop worrying about being caught. I'll cover for you."

Hajime looked dubious at her statement, but still answered her. "I guess… the drums. I don't know."

"It's a good starting point as any." Ibuki seemed to appreciate those words. "You don't even need to know how to read music. You just need to know how to hit with your arms and legs."

Again, Hajime gave a look that spoke to his more skeptical side.

"Don't give me that look." The musician pouted and crossed her arms. "I know my stuff. You said it yourself, you don't know anything about music, so just leave it to me!"

"Right…" Hajime still sounded unsure.

"Let's get to it then!" Ibuki seemed to disregard Hajime's tone. "Okay first, it's time to do some running!"

"What does that have to do with music?"

"Don't question me, my student! Do as you're told! RUN LIKE THE WIND!"

Chisa realized what was about to happen and then quickly stepped away from the door. Then the door slammed into the air that she had once occupied. Ibuki came flashing out of the room and then took off, going right down the hallway.

"Hey, Miss Yukizome!" Ibuki threw an idle greeting like she had just seen her for the first time today.

"Hey." Chisa said it back, even though it was likely it couldn't be heard.

"W-wait!" Hajime came barreling out next, then saw her. "S-sorry for causing all this trouble, Miss Yukizome."

"I don't have a problem with any of this." Chisa let him know. "Tell you what? I'll help you catch up to Ibuki."

"I wouldn't want to waste your time." He really did feel guilty about all of this. "I didn't even expect this."

"Hajime, you're becoming friends with my homeroom class." She stepped up to pat him on the shoulder. "Do you really think I'd turn a blind eye to you?"

"I… I don't know what to think."

"Don't overthink it. Remember what I said. I may not be your teacher, but I'm willing to listen to you, and I'll add help you to that too."

"Yeah… I'll try to remember that."

"Then let's go get Ibuki!"

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Tuesday, July 27th, 2010**

 **Early Evening**

"How is your progress with Hajime Hinata?" Jin Kirigiri looked to the man opposite of him. "Has he made a decision yet?"

"No, he is quite conflicted." Kazuo Tengan shook his head. "I tried to give him a push, but he seems more conflicted than ever."

"Well, there is still time, and I believe that Mr Hinata may yet surprise us." Jin clasped his hands and closed his eyes before speaking. "I've been hearing from the staff that he's been talking to more than a few of Chisa's homeroom class."

"Where did you hear this?" Kazuo let curiosity in.

"From some of the teachers in the Reserve Course as well as a few in the Main Course." Jin opened his eyes again. "It would seem that there is more than one way for us to achieve what we need."

"You still want to go through with it." Kazuo stated his words, knowing that it was not a question.

"What I want isn't really the matter anymore." Jin relayed his answer grimly. "Hope's Peak Academy has been doing this research ever since its beginning. All of that research has culminated up to this point. For the sake of everyone who came before, we can't just turn back now."

And that was the truth about how he felt. Yes, the Hope Cultivation Project made use of a human subject to perform an experiment that may or may not work, an unethical means without a doubt, but it was a chance at developing a hope unlike anything the world had ever seen. Hope's Peak Academy now had the ability to create the perfect human being, and the perfect subject was within reach, one that admired hope and Hope's Peak to such a high degree above all others.

"I don't know if this will matter to you," Kazuo notified, "But I did encourage Mr Hinata to try and find his own path."

"To find his own hope, you mean." Jin translated quietly. "That's not surprising. You always were a believer of hope being in everyone."

This whole project had more than a few people brimming with anticipation, and the principle of Hope's Peak was perhaps the most anxious out of them all, though nobody could tell from looking at him.

That being said, Jin knew that he had steer the course of their subject in a more favorable way. There was absolutely no other student in the Reserve Course that could be the Super High School Level Hope. Hajime Hinata was the ideal subject for the project.

"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but try not to be too intrusive." Jin said in a more serious tone. "We've got enough variables to think about as thing stand."

* * *

 **Ibuki is one fun character to write about. The best part about her is that her character gives me the ability to let loose and write random stuff that would make no sense to anyone but her.**

 **I did say that there would be a romance, but I believe before that happens, I need Hajime to establish a relationship with all of class 77-B. Only then will a romance begin to blossom. A note that I should add: since Hajime is into girls, there will be no husbandos (I think that's the right word) in this story. Sorry to the hopefuls out there who wanted Nagito to be it.**

 **If you readers want to see more chapters, please review, follow, and favorite. Be sure to leave your romance choice with your review. Ideas can also be left with reviews or PMed to me.**

 **I hope you guys had run reading this chapter.**

 _ **"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."**_

 **Martin Luther King Jr.**

 **Peace!**


	5. Peko's Practicality, Gundham's Grace

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 5: Peko's Practicality, Gundham's Grace

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Reserve Course Entrance**

 **Friday, July 30th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

There existed a fine line between the reserve course students and the main course students. The obvious one was that the former had no talent while the other had an abundance of talent.

Peko Pekoyama stood straight with her arms closed and watched carefully. Her target was soon to be leaving for his lunch break, and that would be her time to strike. She had gone over a plan ever since she was assigned the duty by her master. She intended to do as she was told and perhaps more if it could be afforded.

Hajime Hinata, the boy she had seen yesterday, was the subject of her investigation. Her first impression of him left little for her to consider. He was neither impressive nor disappointing. He was average, and for the Super High School Level Swordswoman, that was perfectly fine with her. He was easy to manage, or at least that's what appeared to be on the outside.

"There's something I can't quite put my finger on." Peko placed a hand on her chin as she spoke out loud. "What about him makes me reconsider?"

Did he have a hidden ability? A hidden talent? While it seemed a far-fetched thing to consider, it wasn't without some form of credibility. The silver-haired girl trusted her instincts without hesitation, and if her instincts told her to not underestimate this boy, then she couldn't, no matter what her logical side told her. It was not a question of whether or not he was special though.

It was a question of what to do?

Peko's approach to this next encounter would decide how the dynamic would go moving forward, and she couldn't say that she knew how to be a social person very well. The amount of people she had connected to in her own class could attest to that. How she was going to go about establishing any sort of connection, was the only unknown to her. She knew that her plan relied upon a connection, something of the sort so that she could at least get started. Now that she actually had to think of something to say that would come off as casual yet informative at the same time made her reconsider.

"Have I really thought this over?" Peko frowned in deep contemplation. "Maybe I'd be better off with a more concrete plan in-place. I cannot fail this mission for young master. He is counting on me."

"Hey, Peko right?" That voice sounded familiar. "What are you doing here?"

Caught in one of the most awkward of situations, Peko realized that she had been spotted by the person she was supposed to be watching. She didn't know whether to be angered or embarrassed with her own incompetence. She, a trained and experienced swordswoman, was completely caught off guard by a normal teenage boy.

 _Curses._ Peko grimaced inside and out. _It would seem fortune doesn't smile upon me._

Regardless of her luck or lack of luck, she couldn't remain here without saying a word. That would only paint her in a more suspicious light. Anything but silence would do, even if she made herself to look like a fool.

"I was… wandering for a bit." Peko quickly rattled off something. "I suppose I wasn't paying much attention to my direction."

"Oh. I guess… that's understandable." Hajime looked like he was somewhere between suspicious and confused.

 _That was the best thing you could say?_ Peko just wanted to smack herself with her weapon. _Are you touched in the head, Peko!?_

Out of the corner of her eyes, the warrior wanted to see how Hajime was reacting so she could decide quickly on her next course of action. He seemed just as unsure of what to say as she was. That brought a small amount of relief, but an awkward situation still remained between them.

Even worse yet, they were receiving stares, and it wasn't hard to understand why. A Reserve Course student talking to a Main Course student was not something that was seen often, or not at all for that matter. Add this to the fact that there were many students who were breaking for lunch and the situation could only get more tense.

"So how long have you been training to be the ultimate swordswoman?" Hajime began to hurl questions at her. "It must be quite the tale."

Hajime's question seemed to come out of nowhere. Peko could only stop her train of thought and look at him again. It was like he was trying to avoid the circumstances of their awkward meeting.

"It's been something I've done my entire life." Peko decided to roll with it. "I've trained with my destination already having been decided for me."

"That's a lot of dedication." Hajime looked at the ground. "I'm not sure I could stick with something that long. What's your level?"

"My level?" She repeated his words.

"You do have one, don't you?" He questioned with some timidness. "That's how a person's skill is measured, I thought."

"No, I have no need for such vain things." Peko explained bluntly. "Unlike those that practice kendo with the intent of gaining prestige, I practice and perfect kendo to use the blade as it was intended to be used. The sword is the weapon that defends and attacks and I must be able to do so at a moment's notice."

"That's not something you hear everyday." Hajime appeared impressed by her answer. "You sound like a true warrior, like a samurai who's dedicated to nothing else but simple and noble goals. I wish I could be like that sometimes."

Peko was certain that was a compliment to her, and knowing that, she was not sure what to say. The way she carried herself left her so distant from others. Most people could sense her dangerous nature and shied away from her. The only exception to this rule was her young master and the rest of class 77-B, but the former had ordered that they keep contact to a minimum and the latter may not be wary of her, but it was far from friendship. When was the last time she'd heard someone compliment her?

"Oh, w-well, thank you." Peko, for the first time in a long time, felt feeble. "I-I've never heard someone tell me that before."

"Really?" Hajime gazed at her in confusion and amazement. "I would think someone like you would get all sorts of compliments about being cool and awesome. I think you are! I mean, who doesn't think swords are cool?!"

Again with the compliments. It was a little more than she was prepared to deal with. Maybe she was more detached from normal society than she realized. Her life alongside her young master had left little room for contact with the world. Perhaps it was for this reason that she couldn't control her embarrassment.

"T-thank you." Peko was sure she was blushing now as she sputtered lightly. "I'm n-not used to hearing nice things like that."

Dammit, why was this happening? She was supposed to be in control of this situation, but control was being wrestled away from her grasp, and by someone who shouldn't stand a chance against the Ultimate Swordswoman. While she did appreciate the comments of approval, it made her angry with herself all the same.

"I know little about kendo," Hajime said with an enthusiastic laugh, "So I'm sorry if my lack of knowledge offends you. It's just so cool to be able to talk to a true master swordswoman. I never thought I'd be able to get to talk to one, but here I am."

"No, it's quite alright." Peko recovered while trying to retain some dignity. "I wouldn't fault you for something you didn't know about."

"If more people were reasonable like you," he commented, "I think a lot more problems in the world could be solved."

Was he even aware of the things he was saying about her? Fighting down another blush, she went along with the topic.

"Kendo requires more than training with a blade." She imparted her own wisdom. "It requires a mind that can handle the blade. A sword needs to be handled with care, and because of that, intense mental discipline is essential."

"I see… so you you must meditate a lot." Hajime concluded based on her information. "Right?"

"Yes, that is correct." Peko nodded her head, but frowned. "Everyday, I meditate so that I may better my talent and skills. However, my dedication to excelling has led me to be... isolated from others."

"There's no one else for you to talk to?" That piece of info caught his attention. "Seriously? How does the Ultimate Swordswoman not have anyone to talk to?"

"Perhaps there are people to talk to," She lamented, "But I wouldn't know where to begin."

"Oh, yeah." Hajime snapped his fingers. "You're classmates with Ibuki, right?"

"Yes." Peko replied.

"I just remembered that fact." Hajime deviated a bit. "Anyways, if you're concerned about talking to other people, you're not alone. The key to getting better is practice, just like you working on your talent."

Such a simple bit of advice, yet there was no fault in it that she could perceive, because she believed it herself. She applied it to her swordsmanship whenever she picked up the weapon. That was the only way to remain the very best.

"Yes." Peko couldn't find a more suitable word. "I agree."

Whatever she had expected going into this entire thing, it wasn't this, but she couldn't say it was an unpleasant experience.

 _My instincts were correct._ Peko mentally noted. _Hajime Hinata is not what he seems._

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, July 30th, 2010**

 **Late Afternoon**

Gundham Tanaka was many things. He was a Warlock. He was a lord of the dark world. He was a warrior (though few people knew that). He was the caretaker of the Four Dark Devas of Destruction. He could go on and on about his list of titles and his many accomplishments, it would take an entire book to list them all off.

Suffice it to say, he was not a man that was easily pleased. Nevertheless, the people in class 77-B were anything but dull. Akane Owari was incredibly athletic. Hiyoko Saionji was a walking contradiction. Ibuki Mioda was really loud. Kazuichi Souda was smart, albeit cowardly. Mahiru Koizumi was like a scolding mother. Nekomaru Nidai was intrusive on all matters. Teruteru was… very passionate. Chiaki Nanami was unusually intelligent. Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu was distant, but dangerous. Mikan Tsumiki was timid, but helpful. Peko Pekoyama was a warrior. Ryota Mitarai was secretive. Nagito Komaeda was an enigma. Sonia Nevermind was very regal.

Gundham acknowledged that for all of their faults, being with his classmates was one of the main highlights of his day. Sure, their synergy was a work in progress, but it was there to be sure, and they all kept coming back for more.

As he pondered his current situation, three of the Four Dark Devas seated on his lap, made a collective squeak to get his attention, and he returned to the world to gaze upon them, a smile gracing his lips.

"What is it?" He asked gently. "Share your worries with me."

They began to 'speak' to him, and he listened with rapt attention. They were sensing him in deep thought, and they wished to know what it was that was on his mind. Truly, it surprised him how much they could read him like an open book.

"I am just thinking of my classmates." Gundham relayed his thoughts in few words. "They may be weak and human, but they are… mildly entertaining."

It was more than he expected coming to this academy. Even in an institution that recruited the best of the best from all over Japan and even overseas, there could be some dull characters. It would seem that luck would bless him with classmates that retained his attention with relative ease.

Still, he still preferred his solitude all the same. Acceptable or not, he was used to being alone, and that would not go away after years of him being alone. He would indulge in the chance of forging friendships, but he would do so at his own pace, a cautious and watchful pace. Some would call it paranoia, but he was not about to completely let his guard down yet, not until he knew for certain.

 _With time, everyone's true colors will come to light._ Gundham worked out. _Time is the ultimate power._

And speaking of time, it would seem that Invading Black Dragon had been gone for a bit, not enough to be concerned, but enough to be curious.

Invading Black Dragon, or Cham-P had gone off, most likely to get away from his brothers and sister. Even if he was the most calm and rational of all the Dark Devas, even he needed his space from time to time, and now he was getting it.

"Um, excuse me?" A disturbance reverberated.

Gundham craned his head up from his position on the grass to note who had dared to speak to him. It was not a voice he recognized, and when he saw a face, he could say that he did not know this person.

He appeared to be a lowly human, and if that was all that he could see in this circumstances, the Super High School Level Breeder would have been more than a little biting in his manner, but the human held something, or rather someone in his hand: Cham-P.

"Cham-P." Gundham, despite being in the presence of a stranger, adopted his soft tone. "What has been going on?"

The Dark Devas leaped into his own hands and began to relay what had occured. Apparently, he had been doing nothing in particular when the scent of food came to his nose. The trail had led him to this human, who had a bag of seeds, and even better, the boy had shared some of those seeds.

Perhaps a reevaluation of this human was needed.

"You risked much approaching me, mortal." Gundham stood up, the Dark Devas scurrying to his shoulders. "I applaud you for your courage."

"… I'm grateful… for your words." He sounded confused, and rightfully so.

"Hehe." Gundham couldn't help but chuckle. "Perhaps introductions are in order. Your gall and Cham-P's favor has earned you that much. I am known as… Gundham Tanaka! I will one day rule this world, so it would be in your best interest to remember the future ruler of this world."

"Right…" The boy stuck his hand out. "My name is Hajime Hinata… and I'm guessing you're an Ultimate."

This boy appeared to not be struck with any sort of fear of any kind. If anything, he was more confused than he was before introductions.

"I am known as the Super High School Level Breeder." Gundham regaled the mortal. "And shaking my hand is not advisable. You would not survive physical contact with me. You are only mortal. I am something much greater."

"Okay…" The Hajime human retracted his hand with a strange look.

"Now then, I shall ask a question of you." Gundham said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "Which tribe has declared you its master?"

"What?" Hajime tilted his head.

"Whose master are you?" Gundham posed his question again with a tint of impatience. "Answer truthfully!"

"Um… I've been a master to no one." Hajime answered, albeit with hesitation. "At least I don't think so."

"Hmm." Gundham was disappointed in this answer. "That would explain your low power level, and yet… there is something else."

This mortal might be lowly, but there was no denying that there was potential. Gundham's powers gave him the ability to look at a person and see much more than what appeared to be on the surface, and while he there was no denying that his newest acquaintance was not powerful, there was something locked inside.

"Do you perhaps possess another name?" Gundham brought up his next question. "A name other than Hajime Hinata?"

"Um, no?" Hajime replied with a perturbed inflection. "My only name is Hajime Hinata."

That sounded truthful enough, but what if he had another identity, one that he even was not aware of? It wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility, even for a man who personified normality.

"So I see." Gundham spoke while processing his thoughts. "In any event, you are blessed to have met with an Ultimate and survived."

"Well, you're not the only Ultimate I've met." Hajime seemed nervous at this change of subject. "I've met some others. You see, this girl, another Ultimate, Ibuki Mioda, she got me to join her band."

"You know of the she-devil whose sounds painfully pierce that atmosphere?" Gundham inquired, knowing where he stood on Ibuki's music.

"So you know her as well?"

"She and I share a classroom in common."

"Wait… then you're also classmates with Mikan and Chiaki."

Gundham perked up at hearing the name of two of his other classmates. How could a simple mortal know of his classmates?

"You know of others with power." Gundham looked Hajime in the eye. "How did this come to be?"

"Luck, I guess." The brown-haired human shrugged his shoulders. "Although I think one of your other classmates might be offended by that. If I remember correctly, it's the Super High School Level Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda?"

An insignificant being would never have the power to be able to known of let alone speak to others that vastly outranked him in power and in skill. All of this talk was only beginning to make the Ultimate Breeder wonder just who this was.

"It would seem that I have underestimated you." Gundham felt the need to recant his previous insults. "You may yet have more power than I first sensed. This is a much more preferable outcome."

"Outcome?" Hajime inquired.

"As the future ruler of this world, I must have subjects that can entertain me." Gundham elaborated on his words. "The more I have, the less boredom I will have to endure. Boredom can lead men to do… unstable things."

"Oh… well… I'm glad I could be of some help." Hajime stumbled on his own words.

"Consider yourself blessed. Few can be said to stand in such good graces with one such as myself, especially when meeting for the first time."

They were not friends; it would be unrealistic to say so, but just as Gundham was reluctant to admit that his classmates were tolerable, so too was he reluctant to admit that Hajime Hinata was… interesting.

He would see where this path would take him. It was an unknowable path, but life was always fraught with risks. One more wouldn't hurt.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Friday, July 30th, 2010**

 **Early Evening**

Hajime closed his geometry textbook with a sigh. He was finally done with all of his schoolwork, and he now had some time to kill. He was thankful that today's workload was light, but just the same, he needed to keep up his grades. His parents were sacrificing a lot to get him here, and he wouldn't be wasting what he was given, especially anything that pertained to Hope's Peak Academy.

It had been a normal day in terms of his classes. Lectures, answering questions, taking notes, the usual business, and if that were all he had going for him today, then it would be nothing to remark about.

What had been unusual about today was his meeting two more Ultimates. He didn't know if this was the power of some deity, the power of luck, or just events happening. He wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do to classify this turn of events as good or bad, but he did want to know where it would lead him. After all, it wasn't everyday that a normal, talentless student like him got to mingle with one Ultimate let alone multiple Ultimates. Save for Natsumi Kuzuryuu, he couldn't think of anyone else who interacted with the Ultimates.

"What should I do now?" Hajime looked around his dorm room. "I've got a good chunk of time before I need to get some sleep."

The got up and began to pace, racking his brain for something to do. He wasn't just going to sit in his dorm room and do nothing, but what could he do?

As Hajime paced back to his desk, something white on his desk caught his eye. It was the business card that Miss Yukizome had given him. The moment he laid eyes on it, he got an idea, and idea that made him hesitate. The teachers of the Ultimates did live nearby the Academy, but that didn't mean they were on-call 24/7. Teachers, contrary to some beliefs, had lives outside of school. Hope's Peak Academy couldn't be different.

 _Then again, Miss Yukizome always struck me as standing out from the crowd._ Hajime recalled his interactions with her. _I don't know if I can compare her to a normal teacher._

With trepidation in his movement, he grabbed his phone, activated it, and looked at the number. It was a business number.

"Is she even available?" Hajime began to wonder to himself. "This can't be her personal number."

Then he decided to just go for it. Miss Yukizome said he needed confidence in himself, and overthinking things was just going to make him lose his resolve. He steeled himself before dialing her number, then holding the receiver to his ear.

"Chisa Yukizome here." The Ultimate Housekeeper answered.

"Miss Yukizome, i-it's Hajime." He felt himself stutter slightly.

"Hajime!" She seemed excited to hear him. "I was wondering if you were going to call. How can I help you?"

"I…" He didn't even know what he was calling for, so he came up with something quickly. "I… just needed to talk about something."

"Huh, well fancy that." Miss Yukizome commented. "I actually have something I wanted to talk to you about too. I was going to wait until I saw you next, but since you're asking to talk now, I guess now we can."

"Okay, like right now?" Hajime queried for details. "Where?"

"There's a small cafe a block from the academy." She explained. "I'll send you the address via text."

"Sounds good." Hajime affirmed. "I'll get going."

"Then I'll see you there."

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, July 30th, 2010**

 **Early Evening**

Hajime had taken only a few minutes to get himself ready. He opted to wear a simple shirt and tie that signified his old high school. He traded his dress pants for jeans and put on his sneakers. It was an odd mix, but since they weren't meeting on academy grounds, he felt that this wasn't a completely formal setting. Then taking his wallet and making sure that he had the right street, he took off in a light sprint, not too much to work up a sweat, but still faster than a fast walk.

It only took him five minutes to reach the cafeteria. It was a simple bakery and coffee shop. Although he had eaten dinner, it wouldn't hurt him to have something snack and sip on, although he wasn't sure yet.

"You're early, Mister Hinata." A voice addressed him. "I appreciate it."

Hajime had just reminded himself not too long ago that teachers had lives outside of school, though even as he faced her, he couldn't help but feel slightly surprised. If he didn't know any better, he would say that she was simply another person going about their business. It was surprising what a change of clothes did to a person's image.

"Miss Yukizome." He bowed respectfully.

"Hajime, while we're outside of school grounds, you don't need to address me so formally." She lightly admonished him. "Even my kids in homeroom don't address me formally."

"But they're ultim-" Hajime stopped himself from saying something self-deprecating. "Then what should I call you?"

"Just call me Chisa." She smiled. "If you're so dead set on respecting your elders, then you can do so at school, but we're not at school."

"Right… Chisa." Hajime felt uneasy talking to her like this.

"We'll work on it." Chisa patted him on the shoulder. "Now come on, we can talk inside."

Neither of them purchased anything, just opting to sit in one of the more secluded spots in the cafe. Although there were people inside, there weren't many. Maybe five other people were inside.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Hajime wanted to get that question out of the way.

"Well, I managed to get you a pass into the main campus grounds." Chisa started off. "The headmaster gave his express permission."

"Was it easy to get his permission?" Hajime could already guess the answer.

"Actually yes, oddly enough. All I had to do was explain the situation, and he just said yes with only a few questions."

That didn't phase him one bit. The headmaster was well aware of who he was. The man was the one who had reached out to him in regards to the Hope Cultivation Project. The fact that Jin Kirigiri allowed him onto campus grounds wasn't what was piqued his interest, but rather the implications behind that grant of permission.

"Huh, well that is… strange." Hajime feigned ignorance on the matter. "Do you know why?"

"I think I have an idea." Chisa grinned at him. "I mean, a Reserve Course student who somehow manages to make friends with Ultimates from the same homeroom class? That's something to take note of."

"Well you can add two more Ultimates to the mix." He leaned back in his chair. "Peko Pekoyama and Gundham Tanaka."

"You met them too?" She perked up at this. "Today?"

"Earlier today." He said. "By accident, really."

"Peko isn't know to do things by accident." She pointed out. "And Gundham is very… selective on whom he interacts with."

"They're from your homeroom too." Hajime deduced with a scoff of disbelief. "At this rate, I might as well meet the whole class."

"Who knows?" Chisa shrugged. "You might just get your wish."

A couple of weeks ago, the Reserve Course student would have dismissed that idea as nothing more than a fantasy, an ideal world for him. It was why he was so unprepared to meet so many in such a short span. Hajime wasn't one to believe in the supernatural or a higher power of any kind, but he wasn't about believing in one coincidence after after another either. It was just too perfect. Was a chain of coincidences even possible?

"Are you sure that you're not setting me up to meet your class?" Hajime came up with an idea out of left field. "You seem awfully chipper about all this."

"Well, why wouldn't I be?" Chisa only continued to maintain her pleasant face. "My students get to make a new friend and I genuinely like you."

She might not have said it many times, but the fact that she continually chose to spend time with him told that she at least had an interest in him in some capacity. He wanted to believe that they could become friends. Sure, it might be considered unusual, even inappropriate in some eyes, but she was an Ultimate, the type of person that he admired so much. Her willingness to be here was more than he had dared to hope for.

"You don't look convinced." Chisa said with a raised eyebrow. "What's it going to take to get rid of that paranoia?"

"Time, I guess." Hajime sighed and placed his hands in his lap. "I've always wanted to be talented, or at least to be with people that have talent, but… the people from my old high school told me I was reaching too high, that I wouldn't ever get that far."

He hated to think of his time at Kodaka High School. He could hear those taunting voices, telling him that he should just accept his fate and join the crowd like an obedient little dog. Not a single person at his former high school shared his belief in the ability to rise above oneself. It got even worse when the news came that he had transferred to Hope's Peak Academy. They stopped trying to whisper, and instead opted to mock him for not having any true merit for getting into the best preparatory school in all of Japan.

"I never had any friends at my old schools." Hajime had to get this topic off his shoulders. "If I reached too high, people would always shoot me down, and transferring here only made it worse. Even here, nobody wants to reach for the main course. The Reserve Course is all they want, but I just can't accept that."

He bit his lips and tried to calm down his anger. Emotional topic or not, he wasn't about to lose his composure in front of anyone, especially not a teacher. He was just explaining the reasons why he was so hesitant to accept the hand the the Ultimates were giving him. She had to know why he was this way.

"I want to graduate from Hope's Peak Academy and say that I got there because I truly belonged there." Hajime refocused his mind and continued. "But I know that I don't have a natural-born talent, and as much as I don't want to listen to everyone telling me that, I know it to be true. So the fact that a bunch of Ultimates are befriending me when other normal people couldn't stand me? What am I supposed to think?"

That was everything he needed to say. It probably wasn't what she wanted to hear, but since she asked what was keeping him so high-strung about everything happening to him, now she didn't have to wonder. His own internal anger and frustration aside, he was curious to see what she would say in response to this.

"I think I understand the problem." Chisa spoke softly and sympathetically. "You clearly value outside opinions more than you might think, and while it's important to be considerate of others, you need to have some nerves too. If you believe that you can do something, then it's your job to tell people that you can. Even if the whole world tells you that you can't, you have to plant yourself like a tree and tell them that you can and that you will."

"But how do you find that kind of self-faith?" Hajime half-asked, half-begged. "Where does that kind of strength come from?"

"It starts by believing that you can." Chisa looked him firmly in the eye. "You'll never make it far without believing in the possibilities, however small. If these past two weeks and change are anything to go by, people have confidence in you. I know that Chiaki and Ibuki do."

They had confidence in him. It was so alien to hear that, but it was also just what he needed to hear too. If he could somehow reach into the lives of Ultimates and have them remember him, then he wasn't a failure. He would be someone to a someone.

There was hope yet.

* * *

 **I'm now more available to write now that I'm finished college and that I've spent this entire year on the Dean's List. One less thing to worry about, right?**

 **But enough about me. This chapter was one of the most difficult because writing for Gundham is always tough. His character presents some strange quirks and mannerisms that I can't say I know much about, or anything about to be honest. Peko, on the other hand, is an easier character to write about, but no less interesting.**

 **I also finished Danganronpa V3, and I have to say, it's ending makes me wonder what's going to happen in the future for the series. It could be the end, although it's not really certain yet. Also, now I can't decide which protagonist I like better. Guess I'll have to write more stories and develop my understanding more.**

 **If you guys liked this chapter, please leave a review. Also favorite and follow too. The more support I get for this story, the more of a priority it will become for me.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed reading.**

 _ **"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."**_

 **Walt Disney**


	6. Chiaki's Care, Mikan's Maze

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 6: Chiaki's Care, Mikan's Maze

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Reserve Course Building Entrance**

 **Monday, August 2nd, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Chiaki looked up from her game just in time to see Hajime leaving the building. He appeared somewhat relieved that he was done for the day, but he also seemed to be somewhat more cheerful than she was used to seeing him.

"Hajime." Chiaki called out to him.

"Chiaki." Hajime smiled at her.

He was most definitely more cheerful than usual. She wondered what was going on with him, but would it be alright to ask him about it? He usually wasn't eager to talk about himself nor about his life, at least not in regards to the academy.

 _Maybe I'll ask him later if he's still in a good mood._ Chiaki reasoned out mentally. _I'd like to know what's up._

Hajime wasn't the only one whose behavior had shifted tone. Although this had become a recent development, she had noticed a few of her classmates were acting just a little bit off. The class representative hadn't known class 77-B, but she had picked up enough to know their general mannerisms. It wasn't so much that they were detracting from their normalities, but there was something different.

What a strange coincidence.

"Chiaki, are you okay?" Hajime spoke to her. "You spaced out for a minute."

"...sorry." Chiaki rubbed her eyes, then yawned. "I was… thinking about something."

Thankfully, she could use her trademark behavior as a sort of cover.

"Well, don't stop on my account." Hajime timidly chuckled. "Take your time."

"We can't waste anymore time." Chiaki puffed out her cheeks. "A new game hit the arcade. I wanna go check it out."

She wasted no time in grabbing his hand and leading him to the nearby arcade. In the past, she usually made trips like this alone, but her time with her classmates had given her a new reason to seek out companionship. Now she never went without at least one person, and it usually was Hajime that tagged along. It didn't matter that he wasn't particularly skilled at video gaming, just that he was there.

"So what are we playing today?" Hajime asked her.

"It's a new racing simulator." Chiaki answered as she tugged him along. "I hear the controls are as close to realism as one can get."

"So a racing game?"

"Something to that effect."

"Um, yeah, I'm no good at racing games." Hajime announced to her. "The last time I tried one, I failed really badly."

"Hajime, haven't we talked about this?" Chiaki turned back to him and scolded him.

"Right, right. Sorry." Hajime held his free hand up. "Don't judge until you try."

"Better." She smiled. "Almost there."

The sights and sounds were always a welcome thing for Chiaki. This was one of the places where she felt at home. She practically lived in arcades as a child whenever she wasn't at home playing on her console. It was this devotion to gaming that had led her to become known as a hardcore gamer, and that eventually led to her title as the Super High School Level Gamer.

"It's good to be back!" Chiaki's eyes lit up once they had stepped foot inside.

"Hehe." Hajime laughed.

"What?" Chiaki heard him and looked at him. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Hajime reduced his laugh to a chuckle. "It's just that you're completely different when you step foot inside an arcade, or anywhere that's associated with video games. It's strange, no matter how many times I see it."

"Thanks… I think." Chiaki contemplated his words. "That's one of your least fanboyish compliments."

"...wait, you thought of me as a fanboy?" Hajime looked shocked. "A fanboy of what?"

"Well, Hope's Peak Academy. The Ultimates." Chiaki huffed in annoyance. "What else?"

"I-I thought I was just admiring the school and its students." Hajime tried to defend himself. "Did I really come off as a fanboy?"

"Well, I wouldn't say you were a crazy fanboy." Chiaki put a finger to her chin. "But you were definitely fanboying a bit."

"Oh… w-well that's kinda embarrassing." Hajime blushed at this. "I mean… nothing against fanboys and fangirls, but I always felt that that wasn't admiration."

"I never said you didn't have admiration." Chiaki clarified. "But the way you talk about the academy and the ultimates does give off the impression of fanboy-like behavior. If we're being honest, it's not really cool."

His face fell, and the gamer girl didn't like the look at all. They were here to have fun, not to criticize him. Maybe she should have thought over her responses more clearly. He might not be a fanboy like Nagito, but he did admire talent and Hope's Peak more than the average person. Of course, he was better at keeping it in, but the fact that he was so distant from the Reserve Course was only serving to reinforce this point.

"Relax, Hajime." Chiaki tried to assume damage control. "Look, trust me, compared to my classmate, Nagito, you're fine."

"Nagito Komaeda." Hajime sounded wary of that name. "The Ultimate Lucky Student, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Chiaki tilted her head. "How do you know him?"

"I… had a conversation with him." Hajime looked nowhere in particular as he spoke. "He has a very low opinion of me."

"Unfortunately, that's how he reacts to anyone who doesn't have a special innate talent." Chiaki reported solemnly. "But usually he doesn't go out of his way to antagonize people. Do you know why he targeted you?"

"I think he was upset that I was talking with another Ultimate." He thought for a moment. "I was speaking with the Super High School Level Nurse. Mikan, was it? She's part of your class, right?"

"That's a definite yes." Chiaki lit up at the nurse's name. "And how did you meet her?"

"By accident really. I was minding my own business, not really paying attention to where I was going, and we collided into each other. It was unexpected to be sure, but I must say I am curious to know her better, but I don't know how to approach her."

"You mean her timid nature, right?" The Ultimate Gamer guessed.

The Reserve Course student nodded. "She gave me her number, but… I just don't know what to say to her. She can be… sensitive."

"Hmmm."

Chiaki couldn't say that she had a solution that was guaranteed to work, but if she thought back to the time spent with her classmates, Mikan was amongst the most easy to convince to try new things. It might be considered taking advantage of her timid state, but in the end, the class representative did it so that she could get the nurse to join in the fun and not feel left out.

"...Maybe it's better if you just go in and ask her." The girl suggested once she made up her mind. "I know that sounds too easy, but asking isn't the problem. It's making sure that she stays. You need to insure her that whatever you do with her is fun."

"You means… she needs to believe that she's making me happy?" His green eyes raised. "B-but that's not the point of friendship. It works both ways."

"Yep yep." Chiaki chirped in confirmation. "But that's what most people would say. I haven't asked, but I can tell that she hasn't had supportive people around her very much in her life. I'd even say she's been bullied."

"Well, now that we're talking about it, that does make sense." Hajime processed the information, then added some of his own. "When I first met her, she was so eager for me to punish her because she knocked me over. It's almost like… she was willing to do whatever it took to hold my attention."

"Do you see why she needs a true friend?" Chiaki waved her hands in the air for no reason. "She needs to be given some confidence in herself and forge some true relationships. Sure, she's got girlfriends in our class, but not a guy friend."

"A true friend." Hajime's eyes seemed to light up at those words. "A true friend."

Pushing some hair that was in her line of sight out of the way, she looked up at him. It was like her words had lit the fuse to a keg of dynamite. It was like she had just unleashed a monster or something with massive consequences. All traces of the unsure Reserve Course student were gone, and in its place, there was a person who was… brimming with a sort of energy. It was not passion. It was not conviction, but what was it?

Could it be…

"Then I'll become a friend to her." Hajime expressed this thought with most intense expression she had seen yet from him. "I don't know much about Mikan personally, but I know a person in need when I see one. I can't just stand back and not help,"

It was more than just doing the right thing. Call it a gut feeling or instinct, but there was something else that was there, something else that was guiding this newly-declared choice. Could this be something personal for him in some way?

Whatever the case, he was motivated. That was good.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

"Do you do anything else other than stare at the Main Course?" Natsumi prodded at Hajime.

He glared at her. "Do you do anything else other than grill me?"

"Do you do anything other than annoy me?" She threw back at him.

He gave her a look. "Do you do anything other than complain at me?"

However exasperated the two were with each other, it wasn't really anything worth noting. They both knew what was going on, and as such, nobody moved to apologize for their words. They were just trying to rattle each other, nothing more.

"Seriously, what's your deal?" Natsumi asked him more patiently. "You look like you're trying to work something out."

"Why are you so interested in what I do?" Hajime questioned back with genuine curiosity.

"I don't know. Isn't that what friends are supposed to do?" Natsumi sounded a bit lost herself. "I mean, aren't friends supposed to butt into each other's business or whatever?"

"I guess so…"

"You guess so?"

"I don't know, okay? I've never had a true friend."

She regarded him. "That makes two of us, doesn't it?"

He looked at her. "Yeah, it does."

Ever since she had met Hajime, she chose to spend her breaks with him, and he didn't stop her either. They spent most of their time just trading petty teasing back and forth. He was just as stubborn as she was, and for that, she could appreciate him more. Nobody else was volunteering to talk to her.

"I was working out a plan for talking to someone with a very… delicate nature." Hajime graced her with an answer. "I'm still working out the details."

"Delicate, huh?" Natsumi wasn't particularly fond of that word. "Like physically delicate? Mentally?"

"The latter more than the former." He responded. "Though there might be a bit of the former."

"Huh." She felt that saying anything else might trigger more snark. "Well that's… unfortunate."

She could say a number of things about this girl that he was talking about. Weakness was looked down upon heavily in the yakuza, regardless of the origins or the circumstances. She had her brother knew this well, and both had taken steps to becoming strong so that they could continue on the family business. It fell to them to lead the Kuzuryu Clan into the future, whatever that might bring. Based on what they had seen, it was going to be a very volatile future, but it was to be expected.

These moments of calm were uncommon, even rare it felt like. Sure, Natsumi and Fuyuhiko had both attended Suzuran High School before coming to Hope's Peak Academy. They both knew how to respect authority and rules (at least the ones they cared to respect), but there came a time when they both would face the inevitable facts of their family life. Their parents arguing, the battles between clans and the police, an the trading business of their clan just to name a few things.

Natsumi wasn't normal and she wasn't going to pretend that she was. She was on a different wavelength from the rest of the Reserve Course students. She actually had a family name to back her up as well as a reputation within that family name. Fuyuhiko was declared the Ultimate Yakuza by Hope's Peak Academy, but she could hold her own as much as her older brother could. The constant struggle of the Yakuza left her little time and patience to deal with those that couldn't keep up.

"You don't understand normal society, do you?" Hajime's voice cut through her recollections.

"Well, no shit." Natsumi scoffed at the obvious statement. "I don't get a lot of things about the world. I don't get how you don't resolve things with fists or any kind of violence."

And she truthfully didn't understand at all. Conflicts in her world were settled with good old-fashioned beatdowns. It didn't matter if it was between family or the clan members or enemies. All conflict usually resulted in a physical confrontation. That's how it always went with very little deviation.

"How do you survive in school then?" Hajime appeared eager for an answer. "I mean, your former school, how did you deal with that atmosphere, or any of your former schools."

"As you'd expect from us yakuza." Natsumi stated, recalled some of the fights. "Indiscriminately."

"Oh…" He appeared to expect a different answer.

"What's that mean?" She narrowed her eyes. "Not a good enough answer for a goody-two shoes?"

"N-no, nothing like that." He shrank back slightly. "It's just… don't you get tired of settling things the same way?"

"...we're Yakuza, not terrorists or extremists." She gazed up at the ceiling. "We might not agree with society, but even we have lines we don't cross."

"I… didn't know that." He sounded genuinely surprised. "Well, I don't really know anything about the Yakuza let alone the Kuzuryu Clan."

"You're not alone on that one." She did a little 'tsk' sound. "Most people think they've got the yakuza figured out, but most people don't know shit about us; they only think they do."

She kept her eyes on the ceiling for a bit longer before she looked him in the eye. He did so at the same time, and for a moment, it was an exchange that was nothing in particular. No outstanding emotions or thoughts popped into either of their heads.

"What?" Natsumi finally broke the silence.

"What what?" Hajime was equally perplexed.

"What what nothing." She crossed her arms. "I was asking you 'what.'"

"And then I asked you 'what.'" He had a mix of bewilderment and ire. "Because I don't know what 'what' you're talking about."

"I was asking 'what' like… I was wondering what you were thinking about."

"I wasn't thinking about anything, so there's no 'what' to address."

"No, I wanna know. What were you thinking about?"

"..."

"What?"

"Nothing 'what.'" He told her.

"... what are we even talking about again?"

"I don't have a clue."

The conversation derailed, the two of them met eye-to-eye and then, seemingly out of nowhere, the two of them just began to muffle laughs. There was nothing to laugh about, yet here they were, letting out genuine laughs. The cause of their laughter didn't matter to them in the least, just that they, for some reason, enjoying their conversation for whatever it was worth.

Was this what it meant to have a friend? It felt like she could say a lot of things and still have him to fall back on. He made no effort to push her away as others would have done in the past. He just rolled with whatever was thrown his way. That wasn't something that anyone could do.

Natsumi had this feeling that she could tell him some pretty fuck-up stuff in regards to her family and he wouldn't react in ways that everyone else did. She might be assuming too much as this time. They two of them hadn't known each other for very long, but she had a gut feeling that that was the case. It was almost like… he was trying to distance himself from those that he should be associated with.

 _I bet that bro would get a kick outta you._ Natsumi thought to herself. _I mean, the two are gonna meet sooner or later, and if he's surviving with me, then Fuyuhiko will be a walk in the park._

"What were we even talking about?" Hajime just wiped his eyes, still letting out the last traces of laughter.

"I dunno, but why look into it too much?" Natsumi grinned almost madly. "It's a laugh. You might as well enjoy it while you can do it."

"I guess not, but it's so… strange." He regarded her with a very pleasant smile. "I mean, I'm having some laughs with a member of the yakuza. If I said that to the kids back at my old school, they'd call me a liar."

"Well, believe it, loser." She leaned forward a but, reaching out her hand to flick the ahoge sticking on the top of his head.

"Hey, watch the hair!" He shielded his head from further physical contact. "I like it like this."

"Why do you keep your hair like that?" It was like the hair sticking up offended her. "That's so not professional-looking."

"What are you, my hair stylist now?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"No."

"I didn't think so."

There was no physical fighting, just some teasing and poking around. Neither of them broached upon any sensitive topics nor did they care to delve into that arena. It was better-saved for a more appropriate time, whenever that was.

"Hey, you're not half-bad company." Natsumi decided that a compliment was in order. "Keep it up and maybe you won't die."

"Are you saying you would kill me if I wasn't good company?" Hajime asked as if he wasn't sure she was serious or not. "Or was that a joke?"

"I was joking…" Natsumi thought about it for a second more. "Mostly."

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010**

 **Late Afternoon**

Hajime pressed his lips together and did a bit of pacing. He was doing his best to keep his cool, but this was something new for him, something that frightened more than a little bit.

Like he had promised Chiaki, he had promises to get something going with the Super High School Level Nurse. Mikan Tsumiki was an Ultimate, but she was also a person, a person who hadn't been cared very well for her life if he was putting the pieces together correctly. Fortunately, she did have friends that were girls, but she had yet to find a friend that was a boy. The duty of being that friend who was also a boy fell to him. It wasn't until he had called her asked her to meet him that he realized what he had just done. He had talked to a girl and invited her out.

 _It's not a date._ Hajime mulled over. _I just want to become Mikan's friend. That was the goal, and I have to stick to it._

He was only managing to partly convince himself. He was inexperienced when it came to girls and the opposite sex in general. He wouldn't know if his actions would cause a misunderstanding. He only wanted to initiate a friendship, but he could end up making a move that might be interpreted as romantic. Besides, he didn't even know the girl that well personally, so there was nothing to worry about. Still… it was different than asking guys to hang out, or so he remembered.

"She should be here any minute." Hajime checked the time on his phone. "Just be patient."

Because this was a meeting outside of school, he had donned some nice-looking casual clothes, not fancy, but not just ordinary clothes. When he had transferred into Hope's Peak Academy, his parents went the extra mile and had restocked his wardrobe. He had all kinds of new outfits and pieces of clothing. Up until now, he didn't think he was going to be using many of them.

He wore a light black zip-up jacket with a collar extending halfway up his neck. Underneath the jacket, there was a white t-shirt with the symbol of Hope's Peak Academy. Tan cargo pants and black sneakers rounded out his outfit. It wasn't exactly what he'd called fancy casual, but it was above simple casual attire. At the very least, he looked presentable.

Hajime began to hum to himself for no reason. He had spent a few times with Ibuki in the music room of the main course. Although he had little to no idea of what he was being taught, he did try to imitate her as well as listen. She didn't seem to mind that he knew nothing, and when he asked what he thought to be stupid questions, she always answered with passion and enthusiasm.

One thing that he didn't get about her was how she liked to listen to music that was in different languages. How was a person supposed to get the full effect if they couldn't understand the lyrics? She listened to music from all around the world, not just artists from Japan. Maybe it was for the sake of broadening her knowledge. Did she even know any other language besides Japanese?

"H-Hajime!" Mikan's recognizable voice spoke to him.

"Mikan." Hajime perked up and went for the source.

Her appearance was instantly familiar. Those eyes, her unevenly-cut hair, her fragile features. She had foregone her Hope's Peak Academy uniform for something more appropriate to herself. A light-blue t-shirt, a pink skirt, and an apron. The bandages covering her, he could do without, but given what he knew about her, he could guess why she had them on. He couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through.

"I'm glad that you could come." Hajime settled with a cautious approach. "I hope that I'm not taking too much time from you."

"N-n-no, n-not at all." Mikan put her hands behind her back as she stammered. "It's just… I'm not sure what to think."

"Why don't we sit down and talk." Hajime pointed in a certain direction. "There's a place just a couple blocks down we can talk. Are you okay with that?"

"Y-yes, please." Mikan didn't hesitate to agree. "Lead t-the way."

So far, so good, but this was already turning out to be harder than even he had anticipated.

Mikan was the sort of girl that he'd never seen in all of his life, and he didn't wasn't too much into the trends that other high schoolers were into, so he didn't even have a fictional reference to fall back onto. It was only him and his instinct guiding him. The only thing that made sense was for him to move forward. So far, he was doing a lot more than he thought possible.

Hajime lead her into the same places that Miss Yukizome had showed him. Because it was hot outside, a simple cold fruit drink was in order. Mikan opted for a different cold drink, and against her initial resistance, he paid for both of them. They even sat at the same place where he had met with Miss Yukizome.

 _I just have a hard time accepting that I can talk to a teacher like she's my friend._ Hajime struggled to call her by her first name, even in his head. _She'll probably be on my case, but it can't be helped._

His focus shifted back to the nurse, who appeared to be uneasy under his eyes. It was like she was afraid that he was going to say something or do something bad at any moment.

"I-I'm sorry." She instantly moved to say. "I-I'm boring, aren't I?"

"N-no, not at all." He rebuttered her. "You don't need to try so hard."

"I-I can… take my clothes off." She seemed to ignore him.

"N-no!" He almost shouted. "I don't want that, and besides, we're in a public place."

"Ah! I-I'm s-sorry!"

A couple of people had watched their conversation, even if they hadn't heard what was going on. The boy with the ahoge just smiled weakly before resuming the conversation, determined not to let it crumble.

 _Come on, think of something._ This was worse than he realized. _Okay, Mikan the Super High School Level Nurse. Maybe…"_

"It must be nice to know how to take care of your own injuries." Hajime quickly chose the topic.

"Y-yes." Mikan lit up at this topic. "I-I… it's something that's I've always loved. Taking care of people, b-being h-helpful."

 _Now that sounds a bit more normal._

"I always like it when I'm in my workspace." Mikan's smile was such a stark difference from her fearful one. "Analyzing, preparing the proper supplies to treat a person. Even the sight of medical supplies is enough to get my spirits up."

"Huh." Hajime wasn't sure where she was going, but was glad she was getting into it. "So… what's been your most complicated injury to treat?"

In any other conversation, he'd call his question sort of ludicrous. The question was so unique to this conversation. Never in his lifetime did he think he would conceive of that question let alone ask it.

"My most complicated treatment?" Mikan paused in thought, then lit up again. "There was a woman who had broken both her arms and both her legs. The shock from the injuries also unintentionally triggered a cardiac arrest."

"Really?" Hajime reeled back in shock. "And you had to treat that?"

 _Okay, I should've expected nothing less._ Considering this was an Ultimate he was talking with, surely some crazy stuff was bound to happen. _Still, it makes for an interesting story, I suppose._

"It was my first difficult case." Mikan's tone sounded reminiscent. "The first of many cases."

"First difficult case?" Hajime felt afraid. "How many have there been?"

"Dozens, all of them complicated."

The rest of the conversation was all about Mikan and her adventures as a nurse. Hajime didn't know the first thing about doctors or nurses, but the way that the Ultimate Nurse talked about what she did best made him at least want to listen intently. It was during this time that he came to the conclusion that this was a topic that she would gladly immerse herself in. He didn't understand many of the terms she was using, but that was beside the point. He had promised to try to become Mikan's friend, and what had started out as a tough situation had turned into something to hope for.

 _Hope._ He chanted that word mentally. _I seem to be having a lot more of that lately._

"I-is everything okay?" Mikan redirected his attention. "A-am I boring?"

"No, not at all." Hajime smiled brightly. "I'm just thinking about how fortunate I am right now. I'm a Reserve Course, yet I'm getting to talk to an Ultimate."

"T-thank y-you." Mikan appeared to like that. "I-if it's not t-too much trouble, could we… talk more like this?"

"Of course." Hajime gave her a thumbs-up.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010**

 **Early Evening**

"It would seem that Hajime Hinata is getting around." Jin said to the two others in the room. "It would appear that a good portion of Class 77-B has befriended him."

"I've heard." Kazuo acknowledged with a hint of approval. "Although it might… impede with the progress of the project, it's something to behold."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say the boy's got some talent himself." Koichi Kizakura spoke as he paced. "It's not just luck that he's getting to know so many Ultimates, that much I can say for sure."

"I say it's too soon to determine what this means for the future." The headmaster, in his chair, declared. "Although this isn't the path we had originally anticipated, it is something worth watching. Something may yet come out of it."

"I take it you've got an idea or two?" Kazou looked to the headmaster expectedly.

"I think you know fully well what could result." Jin raised his head and eyed his senior. "Although it's too soon to say for sure, Hajime Hinata is not quite as average as he claims himself to be. Perhaps he's had an innate talent all along and it hasn't been brought to light because he hasn't been exposed to the right environment."

"Are you suggesting… that by obtaining a talent, the project may work… better?" Kazuo inquired with a critical eye. "You know what could result if a talent is introduced into the subject."

"Which is why I've been asking our staff to re-examine the specifics and details of the project." Jin stood up and walked to the nearby window, arms behind his back. "The project is still underway. There are merely a few modifications that must be made."

"Meaning what exactly?" Koichi sat up.

"The project is supposed to create the Ultimate Hope." Jin elaborated and faced them both. "I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps Hajime Hinata is… another form of hope."

"...I think I understand." Kazuo observed the man.

"Granted, if Mister Hinata is to enter into the main course," Jin said, "He will have to prove his worth, like all of our Ultimates."

"So what now?" Koichi waved his flask around. "Are we just going to let things move forward? Business as usual?"

"That would be the best." Headmaster Kirigiri nodded his head. "So far, promising results have shown themselves. If problems arise, we will deal with it."

Jin Kirigiri hadn't told them all of his thoughts on the matter, because he wasn't sure himself what he was getting himself into. Hajime Hinata was still their ideal subject, and it was only showing more and more with his encounters with Class 77-B. The boy admired Hope's Peak Academy vastly and the students in the main course, but no normal person would be able to hold the interest of an Ultimate let along several Ultimates. The ability to befriend so many unusual characters might almost a talent.

"Wasn't it Chisa who requested that Mister Hinata be let onto the main campus grounds?" Kazuo asked.

"Yes, she did." Jin agreed. "And she would have insisted if I didn't agree to her request."

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Early Evening**

 _"Any progress in your investigation?"_ Kyosuke questioned from the other side of the line. _"You didn't call last week."_

"Sorry about not calling. I'm not sure if I'd call it progress." Chisa sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "There's been so much going on that I barely have time to investigate, yet I might have a lead, _might_ being the key word."

 _"Any possibility should be considered a clue."_ Kyosuke decided calmly. _"Just tell me and I'll decide what to make of it."_

"Well… as we discussed, the Reserve Course funds go towards the main course, that's not in question." Chisa pulled together all her thoughts. "Much of the funding is going towards expanding the main campus, but that doesn't account for nearly all the money. I ran the numbers and there should still be a substantial amount left."

 _"Do you have an idea as to where the rest is going?"_ Kyosuke probably had a theory or two, even though he was asking her. _"According to my calculations, the renovations at the academy and the new branch here still doesn't account for all the money."_

"That's where my potential lead comes into play." Chisa felt like she was betraying trust someone put into her. "I've been in contact with a Reserve Course student. His name is Hajime Hinata. On the surface, there's nothing special about him. However, certain events as of late have made him an unknown rather than a certainty."

 _"Hajime Hinata."_ Kyosuke was likely looking up that name now. _"Hmm, nothing unusual here. Originally went to Kodaka High School, living with working parents. Nothing about him strikes me as odd or abnormal."_

"Exactly, and here's where things get interesting." Chisa stood up from her desk. "Over the past two weeks and some change, he's been befriending my homeroom class with virtually no resistance. Despite being a Reserve Course student, almost everyone he's met has been very friendly to him."

 _"That sounds too good to be mere coincidence."_ Kyosuke conveyed his feelings on the matter. _"Were these meetings set up in any way?"_

"No, they weren't." Chisa confirmed. "And that's what's got me invested in him. At this rate, I think he's going to meet my entire homeroom. That's my gut feeling anyway."

 _"It's something worth noting, but I take it there's something else to the story?"_

"...I believe that Headmaster Jin Kirigiri has some sort of connection to Hajime. Reserve Course students aren't allowed on the main campus, but one of my students, Ibuki Mioda wanted Hajime to join her band, so I put in a request from the headmaster. I explained the situation and he only asked few questions before giving me the go-ahead."

 _"That sounds suspicious. If I remember Jin Kirigiri correctly, he was a man who was so focused on talent that anyone without talent was more or less ignored by him. If he's taken an interest in a Reserve Course student, something's not what it seems."_

"For now, I'm trying to get Hajime to open up about himself. I have a feeling that the boy knows something too, but so far, I have nothing to prove that."

 _"If Hajime Hinata is your only link, I don't want you to push too hard."_ Kyosuke warned her. _"Keep probing, but don't force anything."_

"Yeah, business as usual." Chisa felt a wave of tiredness take over. "And things on your end? How are they going?"

" _Smooth."_ He projected his usual cool confidence. _"We may come in a little ahead of schedule, which I'm grateful for."_

"The sooner the better." She nodded her head. "By the way, Juzo says hi."

 _"Be sure to give him my regards."_ Kyosuke chuckled a bit at the mention of their shared friend.

There was a lot of work to be done, and they still had no idea what Hope's Peak Academy was hiding.

* * *

 **Reintroductions to characters that Hajime has encountered will become part of this story too. Think of chapters like these are the next Free Time Events in a character's progression. They will matter later.**

 **Also, I'd like to point out right now that romances have not been established. I might have said this before, but in case I haven't, then I'll say it now; Hajime will not be paired with ANYONE until everyone from Class 77-B have at least one encounter with him and one other interaction. I feel this to be the most realistic approach, so don't go jumping to conclusions yet.**

 **So what did you guys think of this chapter? Although I don't have a particular goal for this story, I would like to hear more feedback. Even though I've got a good grasp on the characters, there's always another possible perspective that I haven't considered that someone else has. I would love to hear anything you readers have to say.**

 **Also, I've added dates and approximate times of the day so that I can keep track of time that goes by along with making it easier for you readers to follow events. All chapters have been edited with dates.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed reading and I hope that the New Year is treating you well so far!**

 **Also, Happy VERY Late Birthday to Hajime Hinata.**

 _ **"Share your smile with the world. It's a symbol of friendship and peace."**_

 **Christie Brinkley**


	7. Mahiru's Manners, Fuyuhiko's Favoritism

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 7: Mahiru's Manners, Fuyuhiko's Favoritism

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **General School Grounds**

 **Friday, August 6th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

Mahiru steeled herself for the self-appointed task ahead of her. It wasn't really necessary for her to be doing this, but for the sake of her own reasons and concerns, she felt obligated to do this.

Class 77-B, for some reason, had been receiving another boost of positive energy, which was astonishing in and of itself considering that as a class, they already were absolutely abuzz with life. The fact that there was more to add to the mix was a good thing. If that were all there was to it, then the Ultimate Photographer wouldn't have anything to worry about and this little detour in her day wouldn't be necessary.

It was through her conversations with her classmates that she began to worry for lack of a more appropriate term. First, Ibuki was practically giddy all day without a so much as a slump. When Mahiru asked what had gotten her energy up so high, the Ultimate Musician said that it was because of her new bandmate, and when the name Hajime Hinata was thrown out, that got her attention.

The photographer recognized the name as it had come up when she spoke with Chiaki, so naturally, she went to ask the class representative about it, but she didn't need to as it slipped into the conversation naturally. The gamer girl had commented about Hajime being a fun guy to play video games with.

Then there was Mikan, who had come into class the past few days with a genuine smile that wasn't seen often. The nurse had simply stated to the entire class that she had made a new friend. There was no evidence or confirmation of any kind, but this Reserve Course boy surely had to be behind it.

Also, when Ibuki had thrown out the name Hajime Hinata loudly, Peko and Fuyuhiko also seemed to be drawn to that name. It was brief, but Mahiru could have sworn she saw them both look like they were listening to the conversation and being as discreet as possible. Did they know this boy too?

Nagito had thrown a dismissive comment about how worthless parasites were getting in the way of the Ultimates reaching for Hope, which was really atypical for the Ultimate Lucky Student. He rarely was a in a bad mood and his negative reactions were few and far in between, but that name seemed to give him the worst mood anyone in the class had ever seen.

Gundham approached the name very casually, as if it was nothing to worry about, but the fact that he had commented on it at all made it weird regardless.

This couldn't be a mistake or an accident or chance. Almost half of her classmates had reacted in some way to the name Hajime Hinata. Mahiru might not be friends with every single one of them, but they were all getting closer, and like it or not, she was becoming used to everyone's quirks and characteristics. Her mind had even suggested that they were becoming a sort of family, a truly bizarre revelation for her, though not an uncomfortable one.

That's why she needed to do this, howbeit, there was a problem: she had no idea where to begin searching. The only thing she knew was that this boy was a Reserve Course student, like Sato was. That's why she was heading for the Reserve Course building, looking for a needle in a haystack. There were over 2000 students there, and with very little to go off of, she had to ask around. Naturally, asking Sato would come first.

Then a question came to mind: what would Sato think if she asked about some random kind from the Reserve Course? Would that make problems right now or anytime down the road? It was something to seriously consider, and the only thing that the redhead could think to do was be truthful about what she was doing.

That's why she was pacing back and forth in the garden, trying to formulate all the possible ways to answer the inevitable questions that would come her way, and it wasn't working for her.

"You look lost." A voice said to her. "Do you need help with something?"

Mahiru was jumped by this and whirled around to face the boy who had addressed her. He stood about half a head taller than herself. He was dressed in the Reserve Course uniform. His face watched her casually, with not a trace of anything out of the usual.

"You really shouldn't scare people like that." Mahiru scolded him. "Jump scares aren't appreciated."

"Sorry." He held his hands up in defense. "It's just… I've seen you before. You're friends with Sato, right?"

"Yes, that's right." The photographer nodded her head. "I'm Mahiru Koizumi."

"Mahiru Koizumi." He repeated the name as it to memorize it. "I'm Hajime Hinata."

That got her attention right off the bat. "Hajime Hinata. I've heard a few things about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope?" He seemed apprehensive. "I mean, I'm nothing special."

Chiaki had said that he was harmless, and judging by what she saw, it seemed an accurate statement.

"Really?" Mahiru looked him up and down. "My classmates say otherwise."

"Would those classmates happen to be…" Hajime paused for a moment before listing off names. "... Chiaki, Mikan, Nagito, Ibuki, Peko, and Gundham?"

"They've all had good things to say for the most part." Mahiru eyed him. "Naturally, I was curious, so here I am. I was going to ask Sato if she knew about you."

"Well, it's not like I'm that interesting." Hajime laughed nervously. "Really, the first time I met all of them, it was all sort of by accident. From there, we just talked. There's really not much more to it."

"Nothing more to it?" She raised a skeptical eye at him. "Chiaki speaks highly of you, as does Ibuki."

"Really, I just play games with Chiaki." He explained the situation with a bit of anxiety. "And Ibuki found me, wanted me to play music with her. Miss Yukizome, even got me permission to go onto the Main Course grounds due to the latter."

"Miss Yukizome? You know her?"

"More than just know her. I don't know why, but… she's kind of made it a habit to talk to me often. I'm not sure why, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. I don't know about her as a teacher, but she's… a great person to talk to."

The photographer could sense the familiarity of speaking of Miss Yukizome, but like with the people he'd met in Class 77-B, he spoke of the former Ultimate Housekeeper as if he wasn't sure he should be talking about her like an equal. He sounded unsure of himself, but unlike Nagito, who seemed to be self-deprecating to an unnatural degree, Hajime gave off the vibe of a young boy who sounded merely uncertain. It seemed a natural response; the Reserve Course students didn't have talents that the school recognized, so they must feel naturally inferior to their Main Course counterparts.

"So… what's your talent?" Hajime asked her next.

"Oh, my talent?" Mahiru paused before formulating a response. "I'm the Ultimate Photographer. I just take pictures of the world around me."

"So, it's like a visual journal?" Hajime tried to analogize her talent. "Something to that effect?"

"That's a pretty good way of describing it." Mahiru found that comparison to be adequate. "As a photographer, it's my job to capture the world and all of its moments, good or bad."

"That's quite a job to have." He sounded more than a little awed. "I mean, if Hope's Peak Academy is anything to go by, there are a LOT of moments to capture in the world."

She wasn't sure if he meant it that way, but she felt that his words were a compliment. By framing her talent in a way that made it sound more important than it did at face value, her work could be seen as having greater value.

"Well, I'm not sure that I'll be able to get EVERY moment, but I'll try my hardest to do so." Mahiru smiled a bit at her own ambitions. "The world is a big place, but I want to see what it has to offer. Still, I appreciate the vote of confidence."

"Well, I think you've got a right to be confident." Hajime said sheepishly. "You're an Ultimate, which is a far cry from being average."

From the way he sounded, he wasn't saying empty words, and taking a look at his face, he appeared genuinely impressed by her, yet at the same time, it was almost like he was kind of afraid of her.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind. She had her camera on her, so she took a photo of him, too late for him to stop her.

"Did you just take a photo of me?" Hajime questioned her.

"I sure did." Mahiru then looked at the photo and laughed. "Yep, that's a dumb-looking face."

"Hey!" Hajime protested. "I wasn't ready for that one!"

"It's too late now." She grinned at him. "The moment's been recorded."

He groaned in annoyance, but she only giggled a bit. Perhaps she had underestimated this boy.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, August 6th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

From what Peko had said about this Hajime kid, he was not average. Yes, his appearance was unremarkable, but as the yakuza boy knew from experience, judging by the cover could often be a dangerous thing. This kid was more than he seemed, and Peko wasn't one to be sarcastic nor was she one to exaggerate. She spoke of how things were and rarely anything more. That meant he had to approach this one differently than normal.

Natsumi, on the other hand, treated Hajime like any other kid. She claimed that there wasn't much to say about in regards to him being unique or special, but therein was the contradiction. Natsumi hated normal people, and even if she called Hajime a normal person, he couldn't possibly be one. His little sister was arguably more hardcore than he was, which meant she had very high standards for the people she associated with, friends and family even more so. Although she hadn't stated that she and Hajime were, Natsumi already had a sort of liking to him, which might as well be friendship or something greater.

At the end of the day, Fuyuhiko had to be sure of one thing. Yes, Natsumi might call him out for doing this, but he was the older brother. Anyone whom his sister talked to frequently warranted a closer inspection, regardless of who they were. They could be God or Satan and he would still check them out.

So here he was, leaning against one side of the gate of the Reserve Course building as the Reserve Course students poured out and made their way home. Almost immediately, they recognized him and steered clear of them. This was a sort of reaction he was used to and it didn't bother him. He was dangerous, plain and simple, and danger presented unknowns, and nothing was more frightening to any person than unknowns and all of that shit. Nobody even dared to look his way for even a complete second.

Fuyuhiko eyes trained on the wave of students as they came through. There were a lot of them, and they far outnumbered the Main Course. Finding two students in a student body of 2K plus people was going to be a tough. There was a silver lining though: although it might take the school a long time to empty, it came in manageable streams. He wasn't straining himself too much while watching.

Looking at his student handbook, the Super High School Level Yakuza noted that he had spent the better part of ten minutes in this spot. He sighed and pocketed his student hand book again. His patience wasn't the best and as committed as he was to what he was doing, he would give up if it too way too long.

Then as if he possessed Nagito's good luck, he spotted Natsumi, and by her side was Hajime. They seemed to be in a conversation of sorts. Their faces didn't look neither happy nor sad. It was like watching two people having a normal conversation. That put his nerves to rest a little bit.

"Natsumi." Fuyuhiko spoke loudly.

His sister heard her name being called out just as she and Hajime crossed the gate. She rushed to his side.

"Hey, bro, what's up?" Natsumi sounded mellow.

"Nothing, I just wanted to talk." Fuyuhiko said.

The brown-haired boy looked ready to leave, but the Ultimate Yakuza called out to him before he could do so.

"Hey, you!" Fuyuhiko addressed the kid with a bit of a harsh tone. "I want to talk to you!"

With an expression that could be described as anxious, his target carefully walked up to him.

"H-hi." He stammered slightly. "I'm-"

"Hajime Hinata." Fuyuhiko cut him off. "I know who you are."

The two boys faced each other, one with a hard look, the other with a guarded look. Seconds ticked by as a staredown ensued. It would have gone on for longer before Natsumi forced herself into the fray.

"Hey!" She hit them both in the shoulder. "I'm right here, guys!"

"Natsumi, I need a minute with this guy." Fuyuhiko addressed her. "You mind?"

"Why?" Natsumi demanded with narrowed eyes.

"Just a heart-to-heart between guys." Fuyuhiko stated vaguely. "It's nothing that you'd be interested to hear."

The brother could tell that she was unconvinced, but her respect and love for him was what led her to give a nod and a warning look before she backed off, turning to go the dorms.

"I'll see you guys later." She left, still eyeing them both until she was out of sight.

"Now then." Fuyuhiko turned. "I wanna talk to you."

"Um… okay." Hajime said.

"First question: do you know my family?"

"Um, yes."

"Then let me make this perfectly clear, kid. Natsumi is my only siblings. She means a lot to me. I don't know how you do it, but somehow, you've become someone she likes, and that means she trusts you a lot. You'd better not betray her trust or hurt her in any other, otherwise you'll answer to me and my family. Are we clear on that?"

"... crystal."

"Good." Another thought came to Fuyuhiko's mind. "Also, no funny business with Natsumi either. Remember that you're both in high school."

The implication was instantly recognized by the Reserve Course student, who reeled back a bit.

"W-what?!" Hajime sounded more outraged than intimidated. "No! I have standards, you know!"

"What, and we don't?" Fuyuhiko couldn't help but be a bit defensive. "Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm not saying that either." Hajime's tone cemented into a more sturdy disposition. "Natsumi's too proud to let anything like that happen to her, and getting past that, we're just friends. We talk a lot, and I'd rather not do anything that might disrupt that relationship. She's the only person I can talk to in the Reserve Course."

The reversal in how the brown-haired boy carried himself was quite interesting to see. The fact was that he didn't run away or shy away from the Ultimate Yakuza was already something to take note of, but now the kid was actually showing some balls of steel by speaking to the Kuzuryu heir without so much as a hint of fear. His words were a declaration of the way things were. They were truthful words, but his last words were friendly and spoken fondly.

 _So he does like Natsumi as a friend._ Fuyuhiko felt his approval going up. _I think I see what you're seeing, little sister._

"Then we shouldn't have a problem." The blonde-haired boy calmed down. "...and thanks by the way."

"Huh? What for?" His counterpart switched from being determined to being unsure.

"You know, for being a friend to Natsumi." Fuyuhiko looked in the direction where his sister had gone. "That girl's been so obsessed with getting into the Reserve Course that she's been acting erratic, even more so than usual. With you in her life, she's become less obsessed, more grounded."

"Yeah, I guess so, but I also understand why she wants to get into the Main Course." Hajime looked longingly at the Main Course campus. "More than anything, she wants to prove that she's worth something. I know that feeling well, but… I also know that obsessing over talent is dangerous. It gives you tunnel vision, makes you forget about important things in life."

"You seem to know that better than she does." Fuyuhiko shoved his hands into his pockets. "And that fact that you can understand her obsession has me just a little bit worried."

"I'd be lying if I said I still don't want to get into the Main Course." Hajime's head gazed at the ground. "It's always been a life goal to be here."

"... you seem to be getting along just fine without a talent."

"Maybe. It's not as bad as it was in the beginning. Meeting so many kids from the Main Course has kind of changed my perspective on things."

"You mean my classmates. I've heard your name floating around in homeroom a lot. That's kind of a big accomplishment in and of itself."

"I have no complaints. It's made life much more pleasant."

"But you don't have to be a big-shot to be okay in this world. Talent or no talent, we're all people."

"So people keep telling me."

They were talking about nothing extremely personal, but all the same, it was a seamless conversation. Fuyuhiko could see the chinks in the armor with Hajime, but who didn't have a few bangs and dings to them? His objective to scope out his sister's new friend had been successful, so he was content.

That being said, there was the feeling that this wouldn't be the last time the two of them crossed paths. This one had much more going for him.

"I've got to head out." Hajime informed. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"We'll see." Fuyuhiko decided not to commit to anything. "And the name's Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. I didn't introduce myself."

"I'll remember that." Hajime nodded before taking his leave.

With his job done, Fuyuhiko decided to head to his own dorm. He'd talk with Natsumi later.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Friday, August 6th, 2010**

 **Late Afternoon/Early Evening**

Chisa still had the conversation with Kyousuke in mind. It was hard not to remember the conversation, especially when it pertained to the boy that she had her eyes on. It was necessary to bring the boy into the conversation because somehow, he was related. That wasn't a concrete fact, more like a gut instinct. Unfortunately, that also meant bringing Hajime into a situation that may or may not be dangerous to himself. Regardless of whether or not he was her student, he was just a kid, and anything that might stifle his life would be cruel, especially if it was something that she could prevent.

But she couldn't just simply go up and tell the Reserve Course boy what she was really here for. If he did know something, then he'd likely never tell her. If he was involved with the Headmaster Kirigiri, then there was no doubt that if he did know critical information, he had been sworn to secrecy, but that begged the question: what could he possibly know and would it have any relevance to her mission?That question rolled around in her head many times, but she couldn't think of anything that satisfied her curiosity.

Hope's Peak Academy was undergoing some intense changes, things that she hadn't ever seen during her time as a student here.

Whenever she was in a bad spot, she turned to her friends or anyone she trusted. As it so happened, Juzo was the only other person that fit, so she asked to meet him after school hours. Now here they were, taking away. Juzo leaned against the wall, listening to what she had to say about her investigation.

While it wasn't his job to become part of the investigation directly, he could act as a sort of backup. Since he was in charge of security on the main campus, he saw pretty much everyone go in and out daily, which afforded him a unique chance to obtain information provided he watched and listened carefully.

Chisa was not one to rely on luck, but she had prayed for Lady Luck to favor her this day; if Juzo had something for her, then she would be eternally grateful. She also tried to nail down the nitty-gritty details so as to keep his focus clear. Juzo wasn't unintelligent by any means, but he was impatient and didn't care much for long-winded conversations.

"So basically, your only lead is this Reserve Course kid." Juzo summed up what she had explained. "Frankly, I don't see the fuss."

"Neither do I, but the fact of the matter is that he was granted permission to enter the Main Course campus grounds." Chisa paced back and forth as she continued the conversation. "I don't know what the Headmaster is thinking, but I won't stop investigating."

"Hmph." Juzo frowned in thought. "Well, if you're looking for new leads, sad to say it, but I've got nothing. The staff's been real tight-lipped lately. It's almost like they suspect a snoop. If this kid is relevant to the dark side of Hope's Peak, then your being buddy-buddy with the kid isn't helping matters."

"Well, it's not like I can just stop." Chisa argued back with fervor. "I'm already too in too deep to back out now."

"I hear ya loud and clear, but you should know the situation you're in." Juzo regarded her with a critical look. "The fact of the matter is that we're both new hirees. Your actions might come across as harmless, but if that kid's important to the higher-ups, then you're only making your own job harder."

"Don't you think I know that?" Chisa huffed in mild frustration. "This whole thing is really testing me. It's already been a month and I have maybe one or two facts and more rumors and gut feelings."

"Then I'm sure one more rumor won't be too much?" Juzo queried.

No, she really didn't want to hear yet another rumor, but with limited resources and with even more limited contact with trusted people, what other choice did she have? She and the Ultimate Boxer only had themselves to rely on.

"Go on." Chisa waved him on. "What do you have?"

"The Board of Trustees." Juzo began with grim look. "They've been unusually quiet as of late. Rumor goes that there's nothing in terms of a public announcement, but it has to do with the Reserve Course funding."

"Reserve Course funding?" The homeroom teacher perked up.

"Keep in mind that I only heard this from the teachers." The boxer looked around, as if to check for eavesdropper. "Funding for the Reserve Course is going into something quiet, real hush-hush. I'm pretty sure I heard something related to Hope's Peak's founder."

"The founder of Hope's Peak?" She stopped pacing at this mention. "Izuru Kamukura? If that's the case, then this isn't something we can just sweep under the rug."

"I hear that." He acknowledged. "But remember, it's just something I heard. For now, I'm pegging it as a rumor."

"Be that as it may, I'll look into it." She played a bit with her apron. "I can't just ignore something like this, especially something like this."

Chisa collected herself and began to head to her office before turning around. "Oh yeah, Kyousuke sends greetings and wishes you well."

"Thanks." Juzo seemed to appreciate this. "But I'll be talking with him soon anyway, so-"

"Come on, be a little more enthusiastic than that." She puffed out her cheeks. "It's Kyousuke!"

"Okay, okay, chill out." He stood up straight and chuckled a bit. "I'm excited. See? This is my excited face."

"That's a terrible excited face." She grumbled. "When we talk again, it'd better be more exciting."

With that, she rushed back into the Main Course building to pick up a few things before calling it a day. Plus, she was now pumped to do some more investigation. She might not be close to the truth, but it could simply be a matter of looking at things from an entirely different angle. Focusing on the Reserve Course had left her on a linear path when she should have been thinking outside the box.

Chisa made short work of the trek. Coming to her desk, she glanced at the calendar. It had been four months since the semester started, and almost a full month since she had taken the reigns of Class 77-B. The experience, while brief, had given her a lot of joy. A lot of memories were made here, ones that she wouldn't forget easily. The class photo next to her always did manage to bring a smile to her face.

"Okay, focus, Chisa." She redirected her attention. "I need to pay attention more to the main campus."

A thought occurred to her that hadn't come to mind before. She began to pull up Hajime's school profile. The information was general, nothing noteworthy. The only thing that would differentiate him from other Reserve Course students was the note under that indicated something very intriguing.

In his profile description, one of the notes had explicit language detailing his ability to access the main course building like a normal Ultimate student could. That wasn't on his profile when she had first seen it.

The second note pointed to something even more suspicious. _Student may show signs of having an innate talent. Recommend surveillance of student in order to properly ascertain candidacy into the main course._

Hajime was being considered to join the main campus? That was big news, and not something that could be done lightly. The headmaster had to be behind this. He was one of the few people who could influence this change, although in the end, the Board of Trustees had to know about this as well. While there were no rules that said that Reserve Course students couldn't become an Ultimate, there was an unspoken expectation that none of them had the capacity to join the ranks of the elite.

"But why show favoritism towards Hajime?" Chisa couldn't put that one together. "What does he have that everyone else lacks?"

That was the million-dollar question. There was nothing extraordinary about Hajime as his own file and transcripts said. He was not particularly passionate about any subjects, hobbies, or activities. He possessed no natural-born talents.

Did that mean that there was something else that made him appeal to the academy? If so, what was it?

 _Hajime admires Hope's Peak Academy because it produces remarkable people, but he's also very lonely._ Chisa thought back to her conversations with him. _He's more easily able to associate with the Ultimates than he is fellow Reserve Course students. He could be appealing to a subconscious desire to become someone important by befriending Ultimates. He's also lacking confidence in himself. If he had a bit of that, then he'd become a better person altogether. It wouldn't matter where he went as long as he believed in himself._

She needed to ask him more questions, but like Kyousuke had said, she couldn't go too far lest he realize what she was doing. Hajime was many things, but definitely not stupid.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, August 6th, 2010**

 **Nighttime**

Hajime put down his pencil after a long study session. He had managed to get done all of his studying and homework just in time for a break before his planned sleeping time. The workload was becoming more plentiful and oftentimes, he found himself with enough time to shower and brush his own teeth before he turned in.

Standing up and stretching his limbs, he began to wonder what he should do. Although he did have a television in his dorm, he wasn't one to watch TV, movies or anime. He could recognize the mainstream ones just fine, but he wouldn't be able to say much about the niche or obscure titles.

Thankfully, he did have something to entertain him. Ever since his introduction to the Super High School Level Musician, the green-eyed boy had began a journey into the world of music. Like he had told Ibuki during their first several "band meets," he wasn't into music. Aside from mainstream titles, he wouldn't be able to say much about artists, their styles, the genres they played, or much of any element essential to music.

Ibuki seemed very pleased with his lack of musical knowledge, so she had begun to recommend him music. She had given him one of her CD players as well as a mountain of CD's to listen to, which were now stacked neatly on the small desk next to his bed. There were a lot to get through, and he had no idea where to even start. She just told them to listen to them and give his own thoughts.

"Then again, maybe that's the point." Hajime considered as he looked at the stack. "Ibuki doesn't seem like the kind of girl who's into schedules or plans or rigid things in general."

Which also might explain why the girl had a liking for pop or mainstream music. She must associate popular music with being a sellout or a person who follows a system rather than their own heart. If that were the case, he couldn't say that he agreed with her on that point completely, but it was understanding.

Without any real knowledge of music, he did have the advantage of going in with no expectations and if the music was good, he would be happy to listen to more, and if it was bad he would simply move on to something more enjoyable.

Choosing a random CD from the pile, he carefully pulled the case and looked at the cover. He didn't recognize the band, but judging from the cover, he could tell just what sort of music he was listening to.

 **SEX MACHINEGUN - Sex Machineguns**

He knew enough from his english classes to read the artist name as well as the album.

"Well, no time like the present." Hajime decided, taking the CD out of the case. "Let's give it a whirl."

Retrieving his borrowed CD player, inserting the disk, and then playing, he situated his headphones on his head and began to listen.

"Wow." Hajime said immediately upon listening to the first song. "This is intense."

He couldn't say that he shared Ibuki's taste in music, but he still tried to listen nonetheless.

* * *

 **The relationship between Mahiru and Hajime in the second game is a sort of relationship that you'd be more likely to find in real life. Even discounting Mahiru's feelings for Hajime, the two of them have a lot in common, personality-wise as well as an insecurity or two. It's interesting for me to write them together simply for how they play off of each other.**

 **Also, it's Fuyuhiko and his bromance with Hajime. What's not to like about that? Granted, since this is not the same thing as being in the Neo World Program, there's going to be stark differences, and it'll be arguably more difficult seeing as Fuyuhiko is going to be standoffish as his need to be tough compels him to do so. Friendship? A possibility, but not without a long road.**

 **And finally, the plot moves forward. Well, I should say that another part of the plot moves forward. Hajime befriending and deepening the bond between himself and Class 77-B is one main plotline, but there's also the fact that he needs to make a choice for himself in the future. Does he stay with the Reserve Course? Does he leave Hope's Peak? Does he get into the Main Course, and if so, how does he do it?**

 **As always, I greatly appreciate feedback in order to get a feel for what my readers are thinking about. I know that if you've gotten this far into the story, than you must have at least enough interest to have an opinion, and I want to hear it.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter.**

 _ **"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."**_

 **Bill Gates**

 **Peace!**


	8. Akane's Acrobatics, Nekomaru's Nature

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 8: Akane's Acrobatics, Nekomaru's Nature

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Main Campus Field**

 **Saturday, August 7th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

As it was custom for them to do on a daily basis, the two most athletic people of class 77-B trained in the field out back of the school. The girl had yet to beat her coach, but no matter how many losses she added to her record, the only thing that mattered was that she eventually beat him. He was the strongest opponent that she had faced in her entire life, and that was saying something considering there were a lot of strong people out there in the world.

Akane Owari was doing some stretches to get herself all limbered up, with her anticipation for this fight climbing fast. Her best chance against her opponent depended upon her reflexes, timing, and speed. Her foe wouldn't go down in a straight-up strength contest. She needed to wear him down steadily.

Opposite of her, Nekomaru Nidai did some preparations of his own. With his vastly different build, his stretches were different than his student's, but he was no less diligent about it. Even if he knew his chances in this fight, he would take it seriously. Underestimating his opponents wasn't his style.

"Ready, Coach Nekomaru." Akane got into a fighting stance. "Bring it on!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Nekomaru mirrored her actions. "Last person standing wins!"

They charged at each other at blazing-fast speeds. To the naked human eye, they would be virtually impossible to track. It first started with a simple exchange of fists to test the waters. Getting the basics down was essential to any competent fighter, and a failure at this point would indicate that much work was required.

Akane threw a flurry of punch, all of which Nekomaru dodged, deflected, or reflected back with extreme ease. It would be insulting to his pride if her simple attacks could take her down so easily. Nevertheless, his charge was spirited and persistent, and she continued a relentless barrage of kicks and punch.

Nekomaru retaliated with a swift counterattack, one that caught the girl off guard, albeit she was much faster at responding than the last time he'd tried the same move on her. Her reaction time had shortened by the slightest of seconds, but even that was a major improvement, especially in terms of combat, where even less time could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Akane flew a few meters before grinding her feet into the ground and charging once again. The Super High School Level Team Manager watched her every move, immediately picking up on the intent to use a kick to the midsection. Instead of moving back, the obvious way to miss the attack, he got himself into position and waited. Once she got within attack range, Nekomaru grabbed the leg of the Super High School Level Gymnast, then used her own momentum to fling her out of the field and into the trees.

"AHAHAHA!" Nekomaru laughed heartily. "I SAW THAT COMING FROM A MILE AWAY! IF YOU WANT TO HIT ME, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT!"

He didn't expect her to remain down for long, and even though he was laughing at her poor choice, he could hear her approaching him once again, eager to get back at him tenfold. Her speed seemed to only increase as she came at him. While she might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, she would make an effort to try and be less predictable. This time, she dashed forward, but her body this time indicated no obvious move. It wasn't until she got within striking distance once again that she attacked. He narrowly avoided an uppercut which would have caused some serious damage had it actually landed.

He responded with a swift right hook which connected with the side of her face, but once again, he saw her rebound, even with a strike as devastating as his own. Her endurance was nothing to laugh off. As chaotic and disorganized and unfocused as she was, she was tenacious like hell. It was just too bad that tenacity wasn't going to be enough to take down the man who had led many athletes to victory.

Nekomaru weaved around a scissor kick and made a single chop towards Akane's neck, something that she deftly avoided before punching him. This was only barely dodged and followed up with a decisive blow to her midsection. She grunted in pain, and it was enough to throw her off for the slightest of moments, more than enough time for the towering man to deliver another blow, which made her fall to the ground. She growled, but still rose, looking a little dirtied, but being who she was, she swung again.

There were many ways to take this fight from here, Nekomaru knew. He could play a war of attrition, he could play a defensive game, he could go all out. Each choice, he knew, presented him with victory. He wasn't necessarily aiming for the fastest method. Speed didn't always mean the difference between a meaningful victory and a meaningless victory. He was here to coach Akane, and that meant using the best methods possible for her to learn, victory or defeat. Each time they fought, she should learn.

Nekomaru grabbed Akane by her right leg as she tried to deliver a kick to the face. While controlling his strength, he began to whirl around at breakneck speeds, becoming a tornado so fast that the human eye would have a hard time trying to keep track. Once he had gained what he felt to be sufficient momentum, he released all of his might and let his student go. To a normal person, this was dangerous, probably borderline suicide, but it was satisfying all the same anyways. She flew far, really far.

"Huh, I knew that I was strong, but I forgot that I was THAT strong." Nekomaru put a hand to his chin while talking to himself. "HAHAHA!"

Maybe wasn't really a good time to laugh, but sometimes, he forgot his own strength, and today just so happened to be one of those days. Well, it wasn't like Akane was heavy to begin with, but still, she flew like a baseball being hit with a bat and soaring out of the park.

Akane meanwhile felt herself flying, and for a brief moment, she couldn't feel any more free. If this was what it was like to fly, then maybe she would have to thank Coach Nekomaru. With her current feeling, she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be fighting, a fact that didn't come back to her until she had landed.

The first thing that confused her as she landed was that she could swear that she heard someone else as she landed. The second was that the landing was anything but tough like she expected. It was like she had landed on a somewhat soft surface. She looked down and she found all the answers to her questions.

Below her was a boy her age, but not one that she recognized. His hair was dark brown and he had a face that could easily be passed off as just another face in the crowd.

"Mmmmfff." The boy stirred. "AAHH!"

Akane realized what was going on. While she could see the top part of his head, she couldn't see the bottom part, and that explained why he couldn't speak properly. Her chest was blocking that part of him. Actually he probably couldn't breathe because her chest was essentially cutting him off from ain.

"Whoops, sorry." Akane stood up quickly and brushed herself off. "Didn't see ya there."

"Where did you come from?!" The boy stood up and brushed himself off. "You can't fly, can you?"

"What?! No way!" The Ultimate Gymnast refuted him. "But if I could, I'd be livin' the dream!"

"U-uh, r-right." He seemed shaken up. "So, you're an Ultimate."

"Yep, you got that right." Akana grinned. "Name's Akane Owari. Nice ta meetcha."

"Hajime Hinata." The boy said.

"Gotcha." Akane said this, then she decided to warn him. "Just to let you know, I'm not good with names, so give me lots of food and I'll remember you more easily."

"Oh, okay then." He recovered quickly. "So… why were you flying in the air?"

"No, no, no, it's my turn to ask a question." Akane sized him up. "Hm, do you work out?"

"What? Um, no, not intensely." Hajime answered the question somewhat awkwardly. "I guess sort of."

"Huh, well that's a shame." Akane huffed in annoyance. "Actually, you really ought to eat some more, ya know?"

"Eat more?" Hajime appeared at a loss. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you can't get strong if you don't eat enough." Akane pointed out, perplexed by him not getting it. "You know, so you can get strong and not die?"  
"Um, yes, I know that you need to eat to live," He said, "But I'm pretty sure I'm not going to die."

The Ultimate Gymnast couldn't believe what she was hearing. This boy barely had anything on him and he was claiming to be fine? No, that wasn't right. He needed to be shown that it wasn't okay.

"Come with me." She grabbed his arm.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Saturday, August 7th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

Hajime wasn't sure what the heck was going on. One moment, he was going to meet Ibuki for a practice session. Now, he was just trying to make sense of this girl, Akane, who was dragging him along with her.

He wasn't sure what her Ultimate talent was, but it had to be something out there. The fact that she'd literally flown into him had already given him the impression of a girl that wasn't phased easily. Additionally, he had his face buried in her chest and he had gotten away with it. He was sure that he would get a slap or a reprimand or be called a pervert or something that would signal the end of his school days and the beginning of his criminal life. It didn't come, and thankfully, she didn't pursue the topic. Either she didn't care, or she was doing well to hide it.

 _Or maybe she's dragging me to punish me somewhere._ Hajime reeled a bit. _I'm not ready to go yet._

He had a feeling that trying to escape her would do little good for him. Her grip was strong. He wasn't lying when he said that he did work out, but that was only on occasion. He couldn't possibly compete with true athletes, and certainly not against someone like this girl. What was her name again?

Akane Owari, that's right.

"Where are you taking me?" Hajime felt less wavering in his words, but he was still intimidated.

"To a friend." Akane said as she held him tight. "We've gotta do something about that body of yours."

"B-but I'm perfectly fine." Hajime tried once again to protest. "Seriously, I eat three meals a day."

"COACH NEKOMARU!" Akane shouted to someone in the distance.

 _Nekomaru?_ Hajime frowned in confusion. _Who is that?_

His answer came to him as they both approached what looked to be a very large and bulky man.

"Akane, what's this about?" The man had a deep voice, but sounded pretty chill all the same. "I don't recall that I was training two people."

"This guy…" Akane then paused and turned to him. "Sorry, what was your name again?"

"...it's Hajime Hinata." The Reserve Course turne to the girl.

 _Did she seriously just forget my name?_ Hajime wasn't sure what to think about that.

"YOUR VOICE IS TOO SOFT!" The bulky man shouted. "SPEAK UP MORE!"

"My name is Hajime Hinata."

"LOUDER! SHOUT IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT!"

"MY NAME IS HAJIME HINATA!"

"AND MY NAME IS NEKOMARU NIDAI! I'M THE ULTIMATE TEAM MANAGER!"

 _Geez, this guy is full of energy._ Hajime thought, realizing that he hadn't shouted like that in a long time. _And did he say Ultimate Team Manager? I had no idea a talent like that existed._

"Coach Nekomaru!" Akane inserted herself into the conversation. "This guy needs a talk about food! He's not eating enough!"

"Eating enough?" Nekomaru looked him up and down as if appraising him. "Hmm… eating more might not be what he needs."

 _I might just get out of this one._ Hajime was holding his breath. _Just maybe-_

"What he needs is to run 10 laps around the entire school campus," Nekomaru began to go off, "then do 20 pushups, 20 sit-ups, and then after he's done that 50 times-"

 _On second thought, I'm going to die._ Hajime balked at the thought of doing exercise that much. _One time might have been fine, but 50 TIMES?!_

"Nah, he needs to eat more!" Akane proclaimed with much more energy. "Look at him! He's needs more food in him if he's gonna be healthy and strong!"

"No, no no, bulk isn't the way to go for him." Nekomaru disagreed immediately. "He's already got the beginning of a good physique."

"He ain't gonna be doing squat if he isn't eating right!" Akane began to sound frustrated. "He couldn't beat me in an arm wrestle even if he tried!"

"Endurance training will help him first!" Nekomaru wasn't having it with her. "Strength will come at a later time!"

 _Okay, this is getting out of hand fast._ Hajime tried to think of a conceivable way to end this argument. _But how to do it and make it out alive?_

"Guys." He tried to get the attention of both athletes.

"He's weak now!" Akane continued to bicker with her fellow Ultimate. "He's not gonna make it through your training regimen."

"He'll be fine." Nekomaru cracked his hands a bit. "After I do 'it,' he'll be ready for ANYTHING I throw at him!"

 _...what the hell does 'it' mean?_ Hajime wanted to know what was meant by 'it,' even if he was scared. _No, I'm getting off topic._

"Guys!" He tried again to get their attention.

"But he's so small." Akane sounded almost worried.

"He'll be okay." Nekomaru brushed off her concern. "For his body type, he'll do."

"GUY!" Hajime cried out to get their attention.

"What?!" They both asked him at the same time.

"I don't know what this is, but I can't stick around to eat or do training or anything like that. I'm gonna be late, and Ibuki's going to be on my case about it."

"Ibuki?" Nekomaru perked up at this and snapped his fingers. "That's why your name sounds familiar. You're the one who's been befriending our classmates."

"You guys are part of Miss Yukizome's homeroom class too?" This had to be luck or fate, Hajime was certain of that now.

"Yeah, teach is seriously strong." Akane grinned at that thought. "Seriously, don't mess with her. She's a LOT stronger than she looks."

"Huh…" It appeared there was a LOT to learn about Miss Yukizome. "Well, anyways, I need to get going."

"But what about food?"

"But what about training?"

Both athletes were extremely fervent about what they wanted Hajime to do, and the boy, even if he had grown familiar with the quirks and unusual behaviors of his classmates, he didn't have the means to deal with all of this energy at once. Besides, he had a prior engagement with Ibuki, and even if she could be spontaneous and really disorganized with her own scheduling, he didn't want to keep her waiting.

"Tell you guys what? I've got time tomorrow." Hajime said. "Why don't we meet here tomorrow before lunch? I can't keep Ibuki waiting forever."

"You wouldn't even considering staying for a few minutes?" Nekomaru began to crack his knuckles. "I wouldn't mind doing 'it' for you."

"...maybe next time." Hajime began to sweat at the mention of 'it.' "I really gotta go."

"How about lunch?" Akane chimed in. "It's about that time."

"I'm not hungry either." Hajime shook his head. "We'll eat together, I promise."

"Alright, fine." Akane relented without a second thought.

 _Wow that was quick. I guess that means she likes food a LOT._

With a quick nod of goodbye, the Reserve Course student began to make his way to the main building. While he did appreciate meeting new Ultimates, this wasn't planned and he certainly wasn't expecting two of them at that, both with energy that he had never seen in any single person. It was a little bit beyond what he could handle. His brief but unforgettable time with Ibuki was already trying enough.

"And yet the people I want to be with are Ultimates." He couldn't possibly ignore this. "What does that make me?"

The more he thought about it, the more it occurred to him that maybe he wasn't as normal as he had led himself to believe. In one way, that was something that lifted his spirits considerably. Out of all the Reserve Course students, he was the one that was getting attention from the Ultimates as well as from the Headmaster himself. No ordinary person could just do that, or so he would like to believe.

On the other hand though...

"It doesn't change the fact that I don't have talent though." Try as he might, Hajime still couldn't help but think of himself in this way. "Still… all the Ultimates I've met don't seem to care."

His thoughts turned to the Homeroom teacher of Class 77-B. Even though she said that his meeting with her students was first a coincidence, then fate, he couldn't help but suspect that Miss Yukizome was involved somehow. He had no proof, but the fact that it was HER homeroom that he was meeting and no one else struck him as more than a little fishy. That being said, even if that was the case, did it really matter? Even if it was the case that Chisa was setting him up to meet her students, what did it change?

"I'm making new friends." Hajime considered the results of the past weeks. "I'm… happier than I was before all this happened."

The circumstances of how he met weren't really what mattered to him. What did matter was that for the first time in a long time, he could look forward to being in school. All of those memories of boring school days followed by scolding from his fellow students seemed to be less on his mind. He now had something to look forward to, something that could give him hope for a better future.

"I guess things are looking up." Hajime grinned. "Chiaki, you were right. Having friends to share experiences and memories with are great."

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Saturday, August 7th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

"Hajime, you're late." Ibuki pouted when she finally saw him enter the music room. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, Ibuki. I got caught up meeting some new Ultimates." Hajime said immediately to her question.

"Yeah, I KNOW." Ibuki smiled with a cheerful tone. "Nekomaru and Akane."

"Wait… you saw me." Hajime realized.

"Give me a 'Y!' Give me an 'E!' Give me a 'S!'" Ibuki began to cheer. "Put'em together and whaddya got?! YES!"

"So… you're not mad at me?" Hajime sounded hopeful as he dropped his belongings into a nearby chair.

"Ah, ah ah!" Ibuki wagged a finger. "You're not off the hook. As punishment, you'll be running laps around the school with yours truly!"

"... what?" He sounded almost exasperated at her words.

"You'll be running laps around the school!" She repeated herself enthusiastically. "With Ibuki!"

"No, I heard you the first time, but… I don't understand why we're doing this." The Reserve Course boy frowned. "I don't see-"

"Less talking, more running!" The Ultimate Musician pushed him to the door. "Let's FLY LIKE THE WIND!"

Ibuki began to drag Hajime around with her as she began her favorite hobby besides playing music. She did enjoy being able to do these things with someone else. All by her lonesome self had proven to be a bit more lonely that she cared for, and in hindsight, she wondered why she hadn't bothered to find a partner sooner. It didn't have to be someone that played music with her; just a running partner would have been cool. The fact that Hajime was an empty cup when it came to playing music was a just a bonus, but there was still a lot of work to be done.

She let go of his hand and began to run at her own pace, only slowly down every so often so that her bandmate didn't fall too far behind. He certainly didn't have her own energy levels. She could tell that much just by looking at his normal expression. He tried WAY to hard sometimes, almost like he wasn't doing this for himself, but for someone else. If that was the case, than it wasn't right. If anyone was to do anything, it should be because they did so out of their own free will.

This was reaching into rather bleak territory. Better not think too much about it.

"HAJIME!" Ibuki cried out, stopping to see his own progress.

She found herself disappointed when he came lagging in, trying in vain to catch his own breath. Clearly he wasn't used to exercise, or at least not her own hobby of running. They had more to do, it would seem.

"Ibuki… slow… down." Hajime gulped hard, which caused him to cough. "I… can't… keep up… with you."

"You won't be able to be Ibuki's bandmate if you can't keep up." She pouted and crossed her arms. "So GET FASTER!"

"I… don't have… your energy." His breathing began to return to normal. "I need to… get more training in."

"Wait, didn't you say that you were with Akane and Nekomaru?" A great idea sprung to the mind of the musician. "They can help you A LOT!"

"I promised... that I would see them tomorrow." The Reserve Course student managed to regain his breath. "Today, I said I would join you."

"Aww, you care! Hajime cares about Ibuki!"

"Of course I do. I take my commitments and promises seriously, especially to my friends."

Ibuki stopped talking to get a good look at her newly-recruited bandmate. He was a somewhat uptight, a bit of a letdown. He wasn't familiar with more lively and active scenes in the world. It was probably because he wasn't allowed to do things like that as part of the Reserve Course. Well, if that was the case, then she felt that he ought to be exposed to the brighter aspects of life, and it would start right here.

Wait, did he just call her a friend? They didn't know each other that well and he was already proclaiming such a thing? Was he really eager to move things forward? No, he didn't seem like that kind of guy. She was in total control when it came to their interactions. She gave him things to do and he more or less followed her, albeit reluctantly quite often.

"Hajime!" Ibuki patted him on the head. "You need to lighten up more! Turn that frown upside down!"

"Sorry, do I really look that down?" Hajime looked very bashful. "I guess there's a lot going on, more than what I'm used to."

"Well don't think too much! Think too much and you'll be old before you know it, and we're too young to be old!"

"Um, sure thing."

They continued to run some more, and as expected, Ibuki always managed to be ahead of Hajime, but he still made great efforts to keep her within his sight if nothing else. He seemed to adjust himself to be able to remain going for a longer period of time, and their breaks became less frequent for a time. Students of the Main Course occasionally saw them, but nobody really stopped to question them.

Time for them began to speed up as the sun, which was once at its peak, began to slowly set as the night sky began to dominate the landscape. By the time they had both realized what was going on, the first stars could be seen. Even though the view wasn't from a high vantage point or anywhere with particular splendor, it was still a nice sight to witness regardless of where they were.

"Okay, that's enough running for Ibuki! How is Hajime feeling?"

"Really tired, yet… I feel really good."

"That's the idea! Exercise really does make you feel like you've done something!"

"You're right. It does."

It was bright enough for Ibuki to see Hajime letting a small smile grace his lips. It made her happy to see him like this. She got the feeling that he didn't smile enough like this, like he had forgotten how to smile.

"Well, as fun as this was, I need to get going." Hajime checked the time. "I've got to finish up some homework and study for a bit."

"Okay! Call Ibuki if you wanna play!"

"I hope we get to play actual instruments soon, though."

"Do not disrespect the word of the master, young one!"

"Alright, alright, Ibuki. I'll trust your word."

"That's my boy."

Any further objections that her disciple had were instantly put to rest, though it felt like he just wanted to avoid a rather long speil rather than talk with her in detail. For someone so dedicated to being awesome, he did lack the patience needed to get through the most basic of basic stuff in music.

The two of them made their way back to the music room. Again, they received some looks from other students, but as with their running, quick glances were all that the pair received before the looks turned away from them.

"Now remember to get some practice in." Ibuki began to lecture him like a teacher. "Play the sheet music I gave you, and be sure that the bass you borrowed has some wear and tear. I need to know that you've been practicing."

"I'll give it my best shot." Hajime acknowledged her with his belongings in his hands. "Catch ya later then."

"See ya later, alligator!" Ibuki waved at him.

Ibuki settled in with her guitar at the ready and began to string some notes together. First a G chord, then she switched to C chord, then to A and B. By itself, this was not a noteworthy behavior of the Ultimate Musician. She possessed acute irregular behaviors that almost everyone couldn't understand. What they could understand was that she was a conversationalist, if a bit unorthodox in general. Most people just attributed it to her mouth running a lot faster than her brain.

Her strumming wasn't a product of her energy or her unpredictability. The more she strummed, the more she felt a mental block. It was like her usual behaviors weren't evoking a sense of creativity that she wanted to have. Surprisingly, she felt frustration, irritation, things that didn't come to her easily.

"AHH, Ibuki can't do this!" She put down her guitar and pick. "I need to think."

She began to pace back and forth, her face furrowed into a look indicating deep thought. As she did this, her eyes caught view of a shelf of her previous work and ideas. Over the years, she had collected quite a bit of material, not all of it worthy enough to be official song material, but they were worth keeping. It was a part of who she was.

Ibuki pulled out one of her first notebooks that she wrote stuff down in. Her previously serious expression melted into a sad smile. These were some of the earliest incarnations of her work with her previous bandmates. Her time with Black Cherry, while brief, had been just what she needed to get her foot in the door. She began to hum the tune of After School Poyoyon Hour with a delicate and soft tone.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Saturday, August 7th, 2010**

 **Late Afternoon/Early Evening**

Nagito saw Hajime leave the building, and it did annoy him. More than he cared to admit it, this kid was getting on his nerves; there was no point in denying that fact, yet at the same time, he would be a fool to simply dismiss the Reserve Course student like he did in their previous interaction.

"Hello, Hajime." Nagito addressed his fellow student in a neutral tone.

"Nagito." Hajime looked guarded, but not hostile.

"You remember me." Nagito approached until only there was a meter between them. "I'm surprised."

"I don't forget Ultimate easily." Hajime stood where he was, but he stared at his counterpart with more wariness. "Even the ones that badmouth me."

"I did do that, didn't I." Nagito laughed as if the event had occurred in the past long ago. "If I'm being honestly, my opinion hasn't changed in that respect."

"Then why are you talking to me?" Hajime glared at him, his distaste overtly rapidly growing. "Don't you have something better to do with your time?"

Nagito instantly caught onto that last question that Hajime had spoken. Those words, it was like he viewed himself as not worthy of the time of an Ultimate, even one with such a talent that wasn't quantifiable by scientific means. The words might have been spoken more out of instinct more than consciously, but there they were.

"Perhaps, but you're… interesting." Nagito felt compelled to be straight with this conversation. "The fact that so many Ultimates, my classmates, have taken an interest in you has surprised me. If I had to guess, you didn't actively seek them out. Rather, they found you and decided that for you."

"Yes, that's the case." Hajime, too, wasted no time with subtlety. "What's your point?"

"I guess… it's much too perfect to be coincidence. I would call it luck, but you're not the Ultimate Lucky Student, so it has to be something else."

"You know, I don't have to have luck as a talent to be lucky."

"No, I don't suppose you do."

"... and you do know that people live their lives without any extraordinary talent, right?"

"Sure they do, but that's virtually everyone in the world. Anyone can do anything if they take it slow. It's the Ultimates and those with talent that are able to progress and accelerate at paces that normal people can only dream of doing."

"And that's your excuse for singling out the Reserve Course? We deserve disrespect on account of us not having talent?"

"What is this world besides a place where the best of the best thrive and everyone scrambles for what remains?"

Nagito wasn't sure what was going to happen next, but he hoped that his opponent's next words weren't disappointing. Hajime had managed to get in the last word in their last argument, and although it might be asking a bit much, the Ultimate Lucky Student could only hope that he would be caught off guard again, surprised as he was surprised before. To that end, he watched and waited with baited breath.

"Aren't there other things that we can pursue besides talent?" Hajime posed his own challenge question. " If talent was the only thing that mattered, then why do people continue to fight to the top?"

"Because that's what humans live to do. We fight to be the alpha of the pack, the one that everyone else looks ups to, listens to." Nagito answered as if the question was predicted. "There are only two types of people in this world: those born with worth, and everyone else."

"… do you always talk to people like this?" Hajime's next question came with a tint of… pity, it sounded like.

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?" Nagito answered almost as if realizing his own answer for the first time.

"I guess for no reason." The Reserve Course boy shook his head. "I honestly can't make heads or tails with you. I understand your classmates better than I understand you."

"Do you?" The Main Course boy chuckled at these words. "I guess I should take those words as a compliment. I suppose there are some things that I am better at than even the other Ultimates."

Against his own principles, Nagito couldn't help but get some joy out of this conversation. It had gone on far longer than any other conversation that had held in the entirety of the school year. He couldn't say that he had ever had a conversation with his homeroom. He wasn't worthy of talking to them, but here, it was a different story. He was the better one here, being a declared Ultimate of Hope's Peak Academy. It wasn't right of him to be thoroughly engrossed in a conversation with someone who didn't have a chance of standing on the same footing as himself… but he still wanted to talk all the same.

"Nagito, what do you even do as the Ultimate Lucky Student?"

"What do I do? Hmm, let's see… I suppose as the Ultimate Lucky Student, I'm hoping to find the Ultimate Hope."

"Ultimate… Hope?"

"I think we can save that for a later time, and it'll be better if you can see it for yourself rather than me telling you, and I think you'll understand once you've gotten more familiar with the Ultimates."

"Or are you holding back because you don't like me?"

"Who knows?"

"... you really are a mystery."

"Do you intend to solve the mystery that is myself?"

"… I can't deny that I'm curious."

"I see."

Nagito smiled, though he couldn't classify what for. It wasn't the smile that he was used to projecting when in the presence of his classmates or his teachers. If he had to describe what he was experiencing right now, it would be true happiness. While the words being exchanged weren't ones of friends on any level, it was a conversation that wasn't without any meaning. Both of them had a stake in this argument, each of them giving their own reasons for doing what they were doing and believing in what they believed in. It was a battle of the mind, one that he hadn't had in a long time. That combined with someone just listening to what he had to say and even tolerating it was more than he usually got.

"I don't really know what you want from me, Nagito." Hajime had long-since abandoned any sign of physical wariness. "But you should know that no matter what you say about me, I'm going to keep coming back here."

"I know, and I won't stop you, Hajime." Nagito shrugged his shoulders. "Do what you think is right, but sooner or later, what really is will reign over what you think is."

"We'll see." Hajime turned to leave.

"That we will." Nagito waved him off.

With that conversation over, the white-haired boy took his leave, heading for his own dorm room. He received a few sideways look from others. While it wasn't by his own hand, he had gained a reputation as the kid who had good and bad luck that affected not just himself but everyone around him, and they were very apparent. In response, a good chunk of people took to giving him a wide berth. The headmaster himself had to get involved more than a few times, which he considered an honor in of itself.

"Let's see, what did I do today?" Nagito began to recount the events of the day. "I spent some time my classmates, I took notes perfect notes, then lost them to spilled coffee, Chiaki talked to me, then I fell down the stairs…"

Each and every day of his life could be expected to have these moments of good and bad luck as his talent indicated. It would be a surprise if things like these didn't happen and if they didn't happen frequently. As it was, he could usually expect an average of ten events influenced by good luck and ten events influenced by bad luck, with a margin of error of five events give or take.

"... and finally, I talked with a Reserve Course Student, but it ended up being a good conversation."

That last one was a highlight of the day, more than he expected it to be. Hajime Hinata might be talentless, average, and perfectly normal person, but it would seem that he had grasped onto hope and would not give up, even if the world told him it was impossible. The Ultimate Lucky Student couldn't see what the Reserve Course Student could, and he was glad that he couldn't see this perspective. He had no delusions about who he was and what he could do. Luck was his only true talent, and he couldn't control it. By default, he wasn't worth even a quarter of what a true Ultimate was worth.

"The strong will always rule over the weak." Nagito muttered to himself. "It is the basic law of this world."

No matter what one said, that would always be the way of the world, like it or not.

* * *

 **Okay, it's been some time, and I apologize, so here's a bit more of a chapter.**

 **Akane and Nekomaru make an explosive entrance, and considering how those two get along, it's not too much of a stretch to put them in situations that are absurd or otherwise ludicrous to everyone else. After all, the anime and the game show as much. I may have to fill in some of the gaps in relation to the inner parts of them.**

 **After having written Ibuki's part, I realized how much she was awesome. I only wish that I could march to the beat of my own drum like that girl can. It also occurred to me while doing this part that Ibuki may have more underlying problems than she displays on the outside. Based on everything I know, I think there's a dark side that I can use.**

 **I have mixed feelings about Nagito. I acknowledge him as a great character for Danganronpa, one of the best, but I can't condone his actions and personality. That being said, his relationship with Hajime is one that I intend to explore. After having played through Danganronpa V3, especially the Ultimate Talent Development Plan, I have a good idea of how they will interact with each other.**

 **Anyways, those are some of notes and thoughts. What did you guys think about this chapter? Thoughts, reviews, and feedback is always appreciated.**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter and I** **hope you all enjoyed reading.**

 _ **"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?"**_

 **Vincent Van Gogh**


	9. Kazuichi's Knowledge, Sonia's Serenity

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 9: Kazuichi's Knowledge, Sonia's Serenity

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **General School Grounds**

 **Monday, August 9th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

Hajime nursed his sore arms and legs as he struggled to keep himself upright. True to his word, he had met with Akane and Nekomaru to begin a training regimen. It served two purposes: first to develop his own body and maybe get a bit more confidence, and second was so that he could keep up with Ibuki. His first lesson had been in endurance and stamina, and despite sounding easy to get into, he understood quickly that it was far from easy. Granted, this was his first time doing a really focused training regimen, so he couldn't exactly be blamed for being very winded.

Of course, now he was paying the price for his workout. The only silver lining was that he would have a break so that his body could recover properly. He was also recommended to adjust his eating habits so that his body could show the best changes. This was all so much to keep in mind going forward, and truthfully, he was worried about his living expenses increasing with these adjustments.

"Calm down, Hajime, it's just the first day." He chanted to himself. "If this doesn't work out, I'll try something else."

Maybe he was more of a pushover than he realized. The fact that he was so willing to go along with anything the Ultimates did or said was dangerous. While he would deny this and say that he was perfectly capable of handling himself, he truthfully wasn't sure what he was capable of by himself. That had to be why he was he hung on everything the Ultimates did. If he could be like them, even if only a bit, he would be a much better person, having greater confidence in himself, and truly be able to be self-sufficient. Well his logic told him that at any rate.

"Maybe I should dedicate a day to myself, collect myself." Hajime looked up at the clear sky. "I haven't been recharging my batteries a lot lately."

He closed his eyes and took in a breath, then exhaled with the force of a wind turbine. This was a very basic sort of meditation technique that Nekomaru had recommended be done often. He would only do this when he was alone. He wasn't an attention-seeker and the last thing he wanted was for people to think he was thinking someone weird while performing his breathing exercises.

Breathe in. Slowly

Breathe out. Slowly

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Trying to calm his mind was initially difficult, but the more he focused on his singular task of maintaining his breathing, the more he could filter out any and all distractions. His own consciousness began to descend into a dreamlike state, perfectly calm and serene. It was almost perfect.

Almost.

Then he heard a voice, a girl's voice, and it sang. It was unlike anything he had ever heard of before. It was a very feminine voice, lovely in sound, and very clear and pointed. It was so abound in positivity.

Hajime opened his eyes and noticed that not far from where he was sitting, there was a girl standing by the water fountain, and she had closed her eyes and the voice he heard was coming from her even now. The first thing he saw about her appearance was that she wasn't Japanese at all.

The first indicator to this fact was her blonde hair. Never had he seen a person in Japan that had anything but natural black hair with maybe the occasional brown hair including his own. Dying hair was nothing new, but everyone knew that was just dye. The next thing he saw was a face that didn't look at all Japanese. If he had to guess where she was from, he would say she was from somewhere in Europe.

Yet despite her not being Japanese, she was wearing the uniform of Hope's Peak Academy's Main Course students.

 _A transfer student?_ Hajime questioned. _I didn't know that the academy took foreign students._

As far as he was aware, Hope's Peak Academy didn't have any programs for transfer students or students studying abroad, but then again, with the reputation as the best high school in all of Japan and given the school's ability to churn out alumni that would be leaders in their fields of study, it would stand to reason that this place would become the subject of interest for foreigners looking to sharpen their own talents.

Hajime continued to listen to her voice as it carried out in a language that he was not familiar with. It certainly wasn't any language that he was familiar with, but it didn't really matter what the girl was singing. Even if only for the briefest of moments, he focused on her tones, her melodies, everything he could, even he couldn't understand it all. When it finally did end, he felt slight disappointment.

He then remembered that he was the one listening and watching her. The only thing that seemed to make sense in the moment was to greet her. At the very least, he wouldn't be dismissed as a stalker or a creeper.

"That's a lovely song." Hajime said to her from her left side. "What is it about?"

The girl turned her head in surprise, but she didn't shy away from him. She smiled a beautiful smile, and it was for the first time that the Reserve Course student took note of her overall. She was perhaps the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He couldn't find anything about her that looked flawed.

"It's an old folk song from my country." She replied back, looking at him fully. "It talks about the origins of the Skong and their place in our culture."

 _What's a Skong?_ Hajime had no idea what that was.

"Oh, apologies, I have not introduced myself." The girl did a bit of a curtsey. "My name is Sonia Nevermind, and I hail from the Kingdom of Novoselic."

She did not make note of her talent, which caught his attention, but since he was first meeting her, he wouldn't ask her unless she brought the subject up. He already knew she was an Ultimate, and that was good enough for now. He did note that something about her seemed elegant and regal, almost like she was in a different level from anyone else that he had met, even the Ultimates for Miss Yukizome's class.

"My name is Hajime Hinata." The boy introduced himself as well. "It's very nice to meet you, Sonia."

Whoever she was, she was certainly giving off the vibe of someone who was brought up and raised in a higher-class setting. He couldn't help but respect her and be in awe of her, yet she chose to be just another student like everyone else attending the school. She had neither asked nor demanded that he bow or show her respect befitting of their stations, so he wouldn't do so unless the situation called for it.

"Hajime Hinata." Sonia said his name with a tone of thought. "I don't think we've ever crossed paths before. That uniform, I assume you're part of the Reserve Course."

"Yeah, I am." Hajime felt a sting at this mention, but not quite as strong as in the past. "I can't claim to have any Ultimate talent, not like you have."

"Hehehehe!" Sonia giggled a bit. "Do not worry about things like that. It is simply good to meet a new person."

"...thanks." Hajime was caught off guard a bit.

"There is no need to be so bashful." Sonia's tone suddenly became very authoritative. "Raise your head high!"

"U-um, sure!" Hajime replied back quickly and obeyed, feeling a sense of urgency.

It felt like in that moment, he had the strong urge to get down on his knees and bow properly before this young woman. Her voice seemed to demand and expect obedience. It was something he wasn't expecting from many kids in school, least of all a girl who was also a foreign exchange student.

 _Then again, considering I'm talking to an Ultimate, is it really that surprising?_ Hajime questioned himself. _In any case, she seems nice enough, if a bit too formal._

Hajime took another look at Sonia. Once again, her beauty came to the forefront of his mind, but not just that. What he had seen and heard made him believe that she was good on the outside and the inside. Not only that, but she carried herself with such grace and elegance far beyond that of anyone, male or female, that he had ever met. It just made him wonder even more what her talent was.

"I-it's just that I've never met a foreign exchange student before." Hajime was still curious about her. "You're the first."

"I see." Sonia tilted her head to her right. "I believe I understand your conundrum."

 _I'm not sure if I'd work it like that._ Hajime said internally.

"Truthfully speaking, I have a vested interest in Japan." Sonia began. "I am a-"

The girl ceased to speak, looking over his shoulders. At first, he didn't think much of it, but then her face hardened and before he knew it, she was grabbing his hand.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Monday, August 9th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

Sonia Nevermind had few things and few people that she truly disliked. As the Ultimate Princess, it was simply in her nature to be as compassionate as possible to as many people as possible. In order to be the future ruler of Novoselic, she needed to have massive reserves of compassion in order to accommodate the people of her nation. They trusted the Novoselic Royal Family, and she would continue to deliver prosperity and joy.

That said, for the first time, she had found someone who she did not really care for. While she could not say that he was a bad person in any sense of the word, the reason for disliking him was more on account of how he behaved around her rather than how he behaved in general. Maybe if it were anyone else, it would be flattering or nice to hear, but he did it so much and in such a way that was very off putting. It was cute the first time, but after a while, it just become annoying not to mention creepy. The princess was well on her way to consider him as her own stalker, and she did not like that.

And he had a name: Kazuichi Soda.

There was only one thing to do in this moment: hide.

Although it was not within her nature to hide from her problems, the situation called for adaptability because her newest acquaintance, Hajime Hinata, should not have to be witness to her problems or potentially become involved in it, so she took him by the hand. Spotting a tall bush, she quickly rushed over. She then proceeded to hide both herself and the Reserve Course boy.

"S-Sonia!" Hajime said in a slight panic. "What are you-"

"Shh." Sonia covered his mouth, her face serious as she held a finger to her own mouth to indicate silence.

Since they were hiding, they no longer had any visibility. With that in mind, the blonde-haired girl kept herself composed, trying to minimize the number of potential ways to be spotted. She also felt that the boy close to her had ceased to panic and simply held still, but she kept a hand over his mouth in spite of his silence.

The sound of light footsteps came, then stopped. Some seconds passed, but there still wasn't any visible noise. Kazuichi had to be close by, and if she had to guess, the Ultimate Mechanic was looking for her. Whenever he wasn't putting his admittedly useful talent to good use, he was likely searching for her, and that was not too much of an exaggeration. He really did like her.

"Aw, man, I guess she's not here either." Kazuichi could be heard being disappointed. "I guess I'll double back."

About half a minute of waiting, and Sonia and Hajime could hear footsteps leading away. Even when they were out of earshot, Sonia was still cautious, taking a peek outside of the large bush. When she knew the coast was clear, she led Hajime out.

"I am terribly sorry about my unbecoming behavior." Sonia bowed to him. "I should not have done something so hasty."

"It's fine. Really." Hajime did not appear to be offended. "But if it's not too much to ask, what was that all about?"

"I don't want to trouble you with my problems." Sonia insisted. "It's really nothing serious."

"...okay." Hajime backed down, but she knew better than to think that he believed her. "But you know, if he's, like… a stalker, you should report him."

"I will take that under advisement." Sonia answered with what she considered to be diplomatic answer.

The Ultimate Princess took another look at the Japanese boy. His brown hair was short, with one outstanding point at the top of his head, like an antenna sticking out. His eyes were olive green. His face was completely unremarkable with not a trace of anything that would stand out in the crowd. Regardless, he was friendly enough and seemed like a person she could get along with.

"In any event, it's a pleasure to meet you." Sonia said with a smile. "Oh, if you do not mind my asking, whose heart have you been promised to, and do you mean to swap with someone else later?"

"...sorry, what was that?" Hajime raised an eyebrow.

"I speak of 'The Story of Seven Men and Women!'" Sonia lit up with so much energy. "Truly a remarkable piece of storytelling."

"I… don't know what you're talking about." Hajime got out. "I'm sorry."

"What?!" This took the girl by surprise. "How could you not know about Japanese drama?!"

"Because I don't watch much TV." He spoke honestly.

"Oh, I see." She let disappointment seep into her words. "In that case, if you ever do find yourself interested in Japanese drama, please let me know! It is always wonderful to talk about these things with a friend."

"...if I get the urge to try J-dramas out, I'll let you know." He nodded his head. "But how would I contact you if I do get invested?"

"Oh, I believe my cell phone number will suffice. Here, I will provide you the number."

"...thank you."

"You are most welcome."

Sonia retrieved her phone and showed her number. Hajime memorized her number and imputed some numbers into his own phone. Exchanging phone numbers, as Sonia had been told by her friends in Class 77-B, was something she should do only for those people that she felt she could trust. She might be naive when it came to normal people, but she had a feeling that this Reserve Course boy was something special for some reason, and if it turned out that that wasn't the case, then she could always have another male friend. Apart from Gundham, she couldn't really say that she had any other true male friends within her class. Certainly, Class 77-B was tied together more or less, but certain bonds shined brighter than others. In any event, making friends was so much fun that the Ultimate Princess wanted to do so again.

"Argh!" Hajime groaned while moving his arm. "Ow!"

"Are you alright?" Sonia asked while looking him over, seeing no obvious wounds or injuries. "Do you need assistance?"

"No, it's alright, I'm fine." Hajime chuckled weakly as he rightened himself. "It's just that I was exercising yesterday. Akane and Nekomaru were really working me to the bone."

"Akane? Nekomaru?" Sonia perked up hearing her classmates' names. "I can see how you would be exhausted. Their training is often difficult enough even for Ultimates with physical-related talents."

"You know them?" Hajime questioned.

"They are a part of Class 77-B." Sonia explained to him. "There are fifteen of us in total, myself included."

"I see." Hajime said.

It was then that Sonia realized something. She took another look at Hajime, thought about his name, thought about his appearance, thought about…

"Wait… I have heard of you!" Sonia's eyes began to shine. "Chiaki has spoken of you! So has Mikan!"

"T-they have?"

"Oh yes, and not just them! Many of our classmates, even the less sociable ones seem to have nothing but good impressions of you! Oh, how wonderful! I have finally met you!"

Getting to meet the boy that was Hajime Hinata was something unexpected yet exciting. From what she had heard and could tell from her classmates, the boy was something of an enigma. He might not have a talent, but he certainly was something more than simply being ordinary. A single boy from the Reserve Course gradually meeting all of Class 77-B like this? No, it wasn't mere coincidence. Fate had to have played a hand.

"Oh, well that's awesome!" Hajime spoke up, more excited than before. "Well, I'll be seeing more of you all, I guess, so no worries. I'll be around."

"Most excellent." Sonia proclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Together, we shall embark upon the journey of eternal and lasting friendship!"

"O-oh, u-um, yeah!" He smiled, albeit nervously.

"Oh dear!" She checked the time, then began to rush off, but not before addressing her newest friend. "I must be going! I hope to see you again, Hajime!"

"You too, Sonia!"

"Bye for now!"

The Ultimate Princess took off, her mood now being at its best. She still had the rest of the day to look forward to seeing her classmates, spending time with them, but today, she felt a sense of accomplishment for branching out and meeting a Reserve Course student. She hoped that they too could become close friends. Even better yet, it was a boy she had become friends with. She didn't have many of those, and despite her relationship with Gundham, she wasn't always sure if he was human. Maybe it was that mystery that was keeping her coming back for more.

 _Perhaps I am drawn to mysterious and complex characters._ Sonia let that thought sink in. _Gundham carries about a sense of danger and excitement. Hajime carries a sense of curiosity and discovery._

Sonia, as the future ruler of Novoselic, was always seeking out knowledge to understand other people. Knowing people would be critical to her life after Hope's Peak Academy. One day, simple knowledge from normal people might be the difference between peace and conflict between her and other nations.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Monday, August 9th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Kazuichi Souda was having a pretty standard day. First of all, he hadn't seen much of Miss Sonia all day. It was like she was intentionally trying to avoid him. Even so, he had searched high and low all over the academy grounds to find her. He didn't bother going to the Reserve Course campus because she was highly unlikely to be there, but he still hadn't found her. It was frustrating to say the least.

Eventually, his desire to continue working on his own inventions won out, and he decided that maybe a bit of brain work would allow him to conceive of any possible places where the Ultimate Princess might be. One way or another, he would find a way to win her heart. To hell with Gundham Tanaka or anyone else with eyes for her. He would be the one and the only, this he vowed.

Still, he couldn't say that his day was completely bad, even without Miss Sonia. He did get some joy out of being with his class. Sure, he wasn't close with anyone in particular, but he was still part of the class and he was never excluded from any of the activities. Chiaki was always working hard to include everyone, and even though he hadn't said it, he was more or less thankful to the Ultimate Gamer for her inclusiveness.

 _I've gotta think of something fast._ Kazuichi thought to himself. _Otherwise Miss Sonia's gonna be lost for good._

Truthfully, he was maybe setting himself up for failure. He didn't really know that much about Miss Sonia to begin with. Nobody really did aside from some of the random facts and trivia she spoke of in regards to her country. Well, maybe Gundham knew since he was considerably closer to Sonia than anyone else. Oh, and maybe Chiaki too; the Ultimate Princess seemed to get along with the Ultimate Gamer quite well.

"Dammit, this is so goddamn frustrating!" Kazuichi put down his wrench and slumped his shoulders in resignation. "I just can't figure this out!"

He wasn't naturally gifted with girls or women, and… he knew of a lot of guys that would be far more appealing than himself. He also knew that he was a damaged good so to speak. He never talked about it with anyone about his past like, and if he could help it, he would never speak of it. As the Ultimate Inventor and as a part of Hope's Peak Academy, his financial future at the very least was assured. With this in mind, he could afford to deviate a little bit from time to time, especially in regards to girls.

Suddenly, a feeling came to the him. It felt like someone was watching him, but not in a way that indicated the feeling of being hidden. Rather, it felt more open, more obvious. It wouldn't be surprising considering that he was building a pretty big piece of equipment outside right now, but usually, there weren't many who cared about the technicalities of what he was doing, only what it looked like and what it did in the most basic of terms.

Looking down from his high-up position, he noticed another boy down below looking up at him with a look of questioning and awe. That… was an entirely different face than what he was used to seeing from people who witnessed him work. Still, it felt kind of rude to just stare back and forth.

"Um… hey down there!" Kazuichi shouted loud enough to be heard. "What's up!?"

"Sorry!" The boy down below called out. "I was just wondering what this thing is!"

"Hold on a minute!" Kazuichi called out. "Be down there in a jiffy!"

Carefully climbing down the massive device, the Ultimate Mechanic reached the ground in less time than he had stated, brushed himself off, and walked up to the newcomer.

"Sorry, didn't wanna shout from all the way up there." Kazuichi grinned. "Name's Kazuichi Souda. I'm the Ultimate Mechanic. Nice to meetcha!"

"I'm Hajime Hinata." He held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

Well… that was a typical response, and at first, it was kind of weird. Most Main Course students didn't introduce themselves in such a plain manner. Then he saw the rather plain outfit and made a guess.

"You're from the Reserve Course, right?" Kazuichi asked.

"Yeah, actually. I'm just passing through." Hajime chuckled a bit.

"But… aren't Reserve Course students not allowed on the main campus?" Kazuichi was now scratching his head in wonder. "So what's the deal there?"

"Well, I've got permission from Miss Yukizome to co-"

"Miss Yukizome?!" Kazuichi shouted.

"Y-yes, her." Hajime shrank back, then seemed to come upon a realization himself. "Wait, you're one of her students?"

"And I've got the scars to prove it too!" Kazuichi said, half in pain, half in pride. "That bastard Nagito really has a way of screwing up my days!"

"Nagito Komaeda… the Ultimate Lucky Student?"

"Yeah, him! So he's an annoying little sucker, right?!"

"I try not to think about him too much. Listening to every little thing he says is kind of a waste of time."

"No kidding, dude."

So the two of them did have some common ground, even if said common ground was not really something worth discussing much, but it was something. The Ultimate Mechanic looked at his newest acquaintance with a thoughtful look.

"So you're the guy that everyone's been talking about in home room." Kazuichi felt a bit underwhelmed honestly. "I kind of expected something different."

"Well, isn't that kind of to be expected?" Hajime scoffed lightly. "I mean, I'm not especially good at sports, music, cooking, or any kind of activity. I'm just… average."

"Maybe… but that's not what I got from listening to everyone in Homeroom." The pink-haired boy stood up a bit straighter. "I mean, even Fuyuhiko and Gundham are okay with you, and they're not okay with pretty much everyone."

"Um… that's good?" Hajime said with uncertainty.

"Anyway, if they're getting along with you just fine, then you must be okay." Kazuichi said more to himself. "So… this is probably a shot in the dark, but have you met Miss Sonia?"

"...who?" Hajime tilted his head.

"Miss Sonia!" Kazuichi enunciated once more with more fervor. "Tall, blonde hair, big eyes, regal-looking. Oh yeah, she's the Ultimate Princess. Her full name is Sonia Nevermind!"

"U-um, I don't really know her." Hajime began. "What's your interest in her?"

"She's totally gorgeous and awesome!" Kazuichi's eyes began to light up with sparkles. "You know, I've always had a thing for blonde girls! There's just something about them that's always gotten my engines revin'!"

"...I see." Hajime spoke.

It then occurred to the Ultimate Mechanic that this conversation had gone off on a tangent. They weren't supposed to be talking about Miss Sonia. They were supposed to be talking about… whatever it was guys talked about when they first met. There was a chance that Hajime had met Sonia, but he didn't seem interested in the princess, so they would get along just fine if that was how things went down.

"What… exactly are you building right now?" Hajime pointed to his work. "I… don't know what it is."

"Oh this thing?" Kazuichi turned his head to look back. "It's basically an engine… a really big engine."

"Huh… but what exactly needs an engine this big?"

"Oh, lots of things, actually! Some of our biggest working machine, be it construction, power plants, boats, there are lots of things that need it! This takes me back to when I first made an engine. Not this big, mind you, but it was still an engine."

Talking about the past in terms of his growth and evolution as a mechanic and an inventor really did bring back some awesome memories, or rather the only memories worth thinking about in a positive manner. If there was one thing in life that he never wanted to go away, it was his passion and drive to be a mechanic. It had been his one saving grace in life, the exact skill he needed to keep himself going in life when everything else went to hell. With no true friends or family to rely upon, he only had himself. It was a lonely way to live, but things could have been much worse for him. Far worse.

"That's actually pretty cool!" Hajime said with an impressed tone. "Being able to invent stuff just opens so many doors!"  
"I know, right?" Kazuichi appreciated where this was going. "Now the next thing to build is a rocket into space! The only problem is that you can't take a girl for a ride on one."

"W-well, at the very least, it'd be a novel ride, right?"

"Yeah… that's actually a good way of putting it."

Kazuichi didn't have many true friends, but he did have a good feeling about this one. He might not know all the technical knowledge of this stuff, but he was good company and there were a few points of mutual understanding.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Monday, August 9th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Chisa happened to be passing by the window when she saw Kazuichi and Hajime talking to each other. The sight was a warming sight. Whether he realized it or not, the brown-haired Reserve Course student had a lot more power than he gave himself credit for. He was a listener, a person who seemed to soak up what people said. That made him an ideal person for conversation and one day, it might even be possible for him to offer up his own story without fear of being rejected. Everyone who had met him thus far hadn't really considered his status as a Reserve Course student to be anything to look down upon, save for Nagito, but he was a work in progress, so there was still a chance. The idea of Hajime being a simple Reserve Course student was becoming less and less certain.

 _Is Hajime really normal?_ Chisa frowned a bit. _Not that I think he's lying about not having a talent, but… that's not to say that he can't develop one._

Talent had many different ways of manifesting. Most students of Hope's Peak Academy, before coming to the academy, had culminated years of experience and practice with their talent, the exceptions being prodigies. They had all manifested their talent at young ages, and that was the accepted norm of the school. However, outside of Hope's Peak, talent could exist in many different ways. Some people took a long time to develop their talent. It was a matter of circumstances in life.

Hajime, more and more, seemed to be a boy of great potential. First it was luck, then it was fate, but now it looked more like untapped potential. Perhaps not a skill involving anything physical so to speak, but maybe a talent to connect with others in a way that few were capable of. Few could say that they were able to form bonds with so many different people, all with unique backgrounds, characteristics, and traits. It was simply such a daunting task to find any sort of relationship with such a cast.

As much as it pained her to admit it, Chisa had to consider the possibility of Hajime being somehow involved with Jin Kirigiri. Even more scary was the prospect that the two of them were quite familiar with each other. She still was unable to find what was connecting them and she lacked evidence to even prove that the two of them had interacted with each other in any meaningful way, but she had a feeling.

The former Ultimate Housekeeper pulled out her phone and stared long and hard at the number on her screen. Just one click of a button and she would be in contact with Kyosuke, but what would she tell him?

Hajime might be suspect, but in her eyes, she was just as much valuable to her as was the rest of Class 77-B. He had hopes and dreams too and he wanted people to share them with. He simply wasn't content to be average, but he didn't know how to translate his desire into something tangible and achievable. Hajime might not be an Ultimate, but he wasn't any less important than her own homeroom. She had already told Kyosuke of Hajime and he had asked her to continue monitoring, but if she got the person of her affections involved more, the Reserve Course boy might become involved too much.

"No, I've got to do this myself." Chisa slapped herself. "I can find out what's going on here without putting Hajime in the crossfire."

It was time to go back to the drawing board.

* * *

 **Welcome back to the story! Sorry for the long wait. I had an idea, then I procrastinated like hell! It was frustrating knowing what I wanted to do but couldn't do due to my inconsistent nature.**

 **Taking a look at Sonia and Kazuichi, I was reminded of a few things.**

 **To be honest with you guys, I am really partial towards Sonia and I think it's because she's one of the few truly genuinely nice people, kind of like Chiaki. There's also the fact that she can be very competent when she's in her element, but the second game wasn't quite able to capture her talent, not really. I'm hoping to capture her in a light not often seen by us fans.**

 **With Kazuichi, he's got his faults for sure, but when you take a look at his back story, he's actually got more than what presents. He's cowardly and his obsession with Sonia is downright unhealthy, but with the right motivation, he can actually do a LOT. It's just a matter of bringing his character out more. As with Sonia, I hope to present him in a much more positive light.**

 **Now it's time to ask you guys: out of all the characters I've introduced to Hajime thus far, who are you most eager to see again? Let me know in a review if you've got a strong opinion on the matter. Next chapter will be dedicated to strengthening bonds as well as advancing another plot of the story.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading!**

 _ **"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."**_

 **Winston Churchill**


	10. Natsumi's Nitpicking, Mikan's Mischief

Beta-Reader **: Zephyrius29 (Ideas)**

Chapter 10: Natsumi's Nitpicking, Mikan's Mischief

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Reserve Course Building**

 **Wednesday, August 11th, 2010**

 **Noon**

"Hey, let's head up to the roof for lunch." Natsumi lightly punched Hajime in the back of the head to get his attention. "I don't really wanna stay here."

The boy looked at the girl for a moment with a light glare. She was definitely more aggressive than most girls that he had ever seen. He could attribute it to her yakuza upbringing, but something told him that there was more to it than that. At times, he was convinced that maybe being more upfront and blunt was merely something that was part of the girl. Regardless, she was company, so he wasn't too bent out of shape about her behavior. If he could handle her brother, then he could handle her.

"I'll be there in a minute." Hajime wasn't sure what brought this on, but he went along with it. "I'm just finishing up my homework."

"Tsk, boring." Natsumi insulted him, then turned to leave, leaving a few parting words. "You'd better not bring that up when you meet me."

"Uh-huh, whatever." Hajime sounded back in annoyance.

He was finishing up his English homework for the day. It was one of the most spoken languages in the world behind Chinese Mandarin and Spanish. Opportunities were abound to people who knew two or more languages; even Hajime, who didn't feel an extreme motivation to learn English, knew that this was important. It wasn't the importance that concerned. Rather, it was whether or not he would retain this knowledge five to ten years into the future. If he was being fully honest, he wasn't positive what all of this knowledge would do for him in the future.

 _What the hell am I doing?_ Hajime shook his head a bit. _I'm too young to be thinking about depressing stuff._

He quickly finished up his work, then packed his bag and headed for his locker. He had managed to snag a quick bento box from one of the convenience stores close by the academy. It was rather plain, but it was a change of pace from the normal food he had in the cafeteria. Some might call him stupid for passing up food straight from Hope's Peak Academy in favor of a dime-a-dozen convenience store bento, but screw logic. He just wanted to do it and to hell with anyone who nosed into his business.

Hajime made his way to the roof, opening the door, and much to his expectation, there was only Natsumi sitting on the roof. If anyone else had come here, they probably had fled the moment they saw her. The yakuza girl already had quite the infamy among the Reserve Course. Even the teachers were wary of her despite them being her senior. One wrong move, and heads could be rolling. The thought hadn't really crossed his mind that much; whatever reservations he had about her, they were ebbing away.

"Took you long enough." Natsumi turned her eyes to him and scolded him. "Don't you know it's bad manners to keep me waiting?"

"Nice to see you here too, Natsumi." Hajime annoyingly responded to her.

"...hey..." She sighed and turned her eyes away. "...Hajime…"

"Hey." His response was more friendly.

Although there were no seats or benches on top, Natsumi made do by leaning against the fence, chewing away at some sweets. Hajime didn't comment on how strange it was to watch a yakuza eating sweets like any normal person. It didn't fit right with the image that they presented, at least not his image. Yakuza were tough, so they had to eat tough stuff, right?

"What's that look for?" Natsumi viewed him from the corner of her eyes. "You never seen anyone eat sweets before?"

"That's nothing new." Hajime realized he was staring and turned away. "I just…"

"Or maybe it's because it's me who's eating them." Natsumi took another bite from the treat in her hand. "The tough girl who probably eats nails for breakfast, right?"

"Um…" Hajime didn't know what to say.

"Calm the fuck down." She flicked his ear. "Just don't tell a soul and everything's good."

"Don't flick me again." He growled, shoving her hand away.

"You gonna stop me, little man?" Natsumi snickered. "You couldn't stop a fly."

"...okay." Hajime stared at her.

"...what?" Natsumi stared back.

Hajime didn't answer her, merely returning his attention back to his food. His eyes gazed at the Main Course building, trying to find a good way to insert the subject of the Ultimates into the conversation. When he couldn't do that, he reconsidered.

What the hell was he really thinking? Their relationship wasn't built on constant talking and chatter. Sometimes, they were next to each other in silence. It was kind of awkward, but neither of them stopped it either.

 _Where can we go from here?_ Hajime mulled to himself, realizing something as well. _I don't really know much about Natsumi. I know that her brother is the Ultimate Yakuza. I know that she's had a rough family life._

The only thing he could think to do was pick a topic familiar to the girl and hope for the best.

"I really have no idea what to talk about other than small talk." Hajime decided to go for it. "I mean, I like talking to you, but I feel like there's more we could be talking about."

"Me and my brother weren't really much for small talk." Natsumi finished up eating and crossed her arms, leaning into the fence more. "The way I see it, it's better to save your words for something really meaningful. It's kind of like that back at home; my parents would battle to the death when a fight broke out. My mom always said that killing the man you love to get your point across was acceptable."

"That's… not the same thing as talking." Hajime pointed out. "That's not even close to being the same thing."

"It might as well have been." Natsumi shrugged her shoulders. "My parents were always like that. For the Yakuza, actions speak louder than words, and fighting was another way to put words into action."

That sounded completely incredible. The thought that violence and fights were simply another form of communication was extreme. Virtually everyone else talked out their disagreements, yelled at each other, and maybe occasionally got into fights in the event of an intense discussion.

Hajime had seen his parents fight on more than one occasion, and more often than not, it was the important topics that were the source of those fights, but never had it escalated into a physical confrontation. Seeing those fights made him worry, but ultimately, he knew that his parents didn't just love each other; they also were the best of friends, two people who trusted each other with their lives.

Natsumi's family life seemed dysfunctional by comparison, but knowing little about the yakuza, he really wasn't in any position to judge.

"It's been that way for so long that I guess it's always been nature to be confrontational and whatever." Natsumi noted. "Fighting for me is as natural as breathing."

"I see." Hajime really couldn't answer her.

"You know, you don't have to find a solution to all my problems." She made eye contact with him. "You're not my therapist."

"I guess, but I feel like… like there's something I could do." He felt a little down.

"Why do you care about my problems?" The blonde stared him down. "It's not like we're related in any deep way. Hell, I wouldn't dig too deep if I were you."

"I-I can't explain." The brunette looked at the floor. "It's something my gut tells me to do."

"...you're one weird bastard, you know that?"

"Why am I weird?"

"Caring about what happens to a yakuza? That's weird for a normal person."

"I… I don't think of it that way. I think of it as a person caring for another person's issues, trying to help them out, you know? It's the right thing to do."

"And that's what makes you weird. Knowing the right thing and doing it are two different things."

"But you're not stopping me, are you?"

"...no."

Maybe it wasn't his place to care about what happened to Natsumi, but Hajime couldn't help but feel bad for the girl. If violence and conflict were what she had grown up with, peace for her must have been a rare luxury. He didn't know all the details, but he couldn't imagine her wanting to live a violent life for rest of her life. Right now, she was just a girl going to school and doing her best to become someone important so that she could be next to her brother. He related to that.

 _Maybe that's why I want to help her._ Hajime came to this conclusion. _Her struggle is my struggle in a way. We work off each other like that._

"...thanks for talking to me." Natsumi seemed reluctant to give gratitude. "I guess sharing this stuff is easier than I thought."

"I'm always here to talk if you need me." Hajime offered.

"...we'll see." Natsumi said.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Wednesday, August 11th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Chisa stood patiently in front of the entrance to the Reserve Course building waiting for Hajime to come out. As far as she knew, he didn't participate in any after school activities, at least not on this side of the school, and she wasn't aware of any plans he had with any of her students after school today.

"Hajime, good afternoon!" Chisa spotted her favorite Reserve Course student and called to him.

"Miss Yukizome, hi." Hajime smiled and nodded. "Did you need something?"

"Nothing serious, but I was hoping to talk to you." Chisa replied with her own smile. "Do you have time?"

"Sure, I can spare some time." Hajime adjusted his own bag in his hands. "Lead the way."

The former Ultimate Housekeeper took note of the boy's pleasant attitude. Whenever she caught a glimpse of him, she paid attention to his face. Even though it had scarcely been a month since she had met him, he was different. His more pessimistic and demure moments were becoming less and less frequent. With his time being occupied more and more by her students, he was slowly showing a side of himself that he probably didn't even realize he was exhibiting himself. Things could only get better from here.

The two of them more or less walked alongside the roads, leading into the heart of downtown. It was an odd site, a homeroom teacher dressed partially like a maid and a Hope's Peak Reserve Course student dressed impeccably. They received more than a few stares from bypassers. The woman simply kept her smile on her face, looking to the boy who appeared self-conscious.

"There's no need to be so stiff, Hajime." Chisa patted him on the shoulder. "Relax."

"I know." Hajime flexed his body. "I'm not used to being stared at."

Chisa didn't doubt him in that regard. As much as Hajime wished to be a part of something greater than himself, he didn't appear to be the type of person who wanted attention, at least not in the way that celebrities might want it. Shy would be the right word to describe, but it was a manageable case of shyness. He noticed the stares, but he was still composed enough to continue with their conversation.

"Well, just like anything you do, it takes time and practice." Chisa put her hands behind her back. "But I'm sure you know that already."

"Well, Ibuki's been telling me that more or less in her own colorful way." Hajime nodded his head. "So... not to break up the small talk, but you said you needed to talk to me, miss-"

"Ah ah ah!" Chisa stood right up in front of him, her face very close to his own, a finger in the air. "We're not at school, Hajime. What do you call me?"

"U-um, sorry… Chisa." Hajime looked at her with a cringe on his face.

"Much better." She backed off, satisfied. "And to answer your question, I wanted to talk to you about what's been going on these past few weeks."

"You mean… with everyone in your homeroom?" He realized.

There had been a shift in behavior in homeroom whenever they were in session. Sure, they all participated in class activities and outings, but there was also a sense of anticipation and anxiety, something that hadn't been present in the past. Granted, it would take a very careful eye to spot said changes, but having spent a decent amount of time with her students, she could say with confidence that things were different.

"You've been a busy bee bonding with my students," Chisa said, "But I haven't actually talked to you about them much. How's that been going for you?"

"Well… I knew that Ultimates could be different, but knowing and experiencing are two different things." Hajime's words flowed effortlessly. "I've never seen such unique characters in my life. It's actually amazing to me, seeing people who can be so unusual yet successful."

"Well, it tends to be the case that those who are different from the norm tend to have more success in life." Chisa added her own piece. "Be it in their careers, their relationships, or anything that they do for that matter. It's those same people who can shape the world, make it better than before."

"I'm starting to see that now, and it just… inspires me to be greater than I am now." Hajime turned to face his senior. "That's why I try to imitate them, do what they say. Maybe it's not original, but it's better than sitting around and doing nothing."

"Well, I'm glad that you're inspired by my kids." Chisa caught his eyes. "You're starting to get what life is all about."

"What life is all about?" Hajime questioned.

"Nice try, but I'm not going to tell you that easily." Chisa denied him his answer. "You've got to find it yourself."

"Hey!" Hajime groaned. "You can't dangle a carrot and then take it away like that."

"Life can do that to you sometimes. Better that you hear it from me than from people who are more harsh." Chisa put a hand on his shoulder. "But if you really want to know, then go find out yourself."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Hajime just waved her off.

"A bit of an unrelated topic, but how's everything really going?" Chisa leaned in closer to listen. "I know that you're having fun and all, but how's classes been?"

"The same, I guess." Hajime shrugged his shoulders. "Lectures, homework, tests, the usual stuff, nothing too out of the ordinary. I'm not really the best at any subject, but I do good work."

"I'm getting the feeling that there's more to it."

"Well, it's just that no matter what grade I get, good or bad, as long as I'm here, my parents are going to have to pay the steep tuition costs. I've always wanted to be a son they can be proud of, but I don't want them to lose so much just to pay for me to come here."

Silence on both ends.

This response came as something unexpected for Chisa. It wasn't that she took Hajime for a selfish person, but him being here at Hope's Peak Academy was something of a selfish motive, and while there was nothing wrong with that, that same selfish motive is what made his more destructive behaviors come out. Now, with just a few genuine words from a boy who was facing adversity in his own way, the homeroom teacher could now see a different side of Hajime, a side of compassion, selflessness, and caring. The fact that he was thinking hard about this meant that he had been seriously considering other options to success. One of those options could involve leaving the academy altogether.

That thought made Chisa feel unhappy.

"That's why you're pushing so hard to get into the Main Course." Chisa said with a tint of sadness. "It's for yourself, but it's also for your family."

The brown-haired boy stared ahead of him as they both walked along the street. The previously bright and cheerful mood had vaporized, replaced by a somber and serious one. This was not what the former Ultimate Housekeeper had wanted to happen; now she felt guilty for bringing up another problem in Hajime's life. His own personal problems aside, he did have a perfectly understandable if not legitimate reason to be focused on the Main Course.

"I've had a pretty normal family life." Hajime appeared bittersweet. "A mother and father who love each other, who love me as their son, who laugh with me, go places with me, have fun with me, argue with me, cry with me, everything that any normal kid has gone through. I just couldn't bear the thought of taking that kindness for granted, so I set my sights on Hope's Peak Academy, but no matter how much I dreamed about Hope's Peak and aspired to be there, nobody supported me. Everyone called me stupid or idiotic for even thinking that I could make the cut… except my parents. They might not necessarily agree with my choice, but they told me to go for it and do my best, so I promised that I would. If only I had a talent, then I could be someone important and I could make parents proud."

This was probably the really deep stuff that Hajime had never talked to about. Now he was bearing some of his most personal issues to her in the middle of a busy street of all places, and doing it in front of a teacher that he didn't really know all that well. It was impressive that he was managing to keep any sort of composure, but he had said all of that clearly and without pause. The only indication of his own emotional turmoil was a frown and eyes that reflected a defeated attitude.

Chisa couldn't find the proper words to ease his anguish, so she did the only thing that felt right in the moment. With both her hands, she gently cupped his face. The move surprised him, and he tried to back away, but she didn't release him, giving him an expression that showed what she couldn't say in words: I'm here if you need me. He had trusted her with a weakness, and she would do her best to help him overcome it.

Hajime managed a weak smile.

Chisa mirrored him.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Thursday, August 12th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Mikan, for the first time this semester, had chosen to break routine and instead of returning to her dorm room upon completion of her classes for the day, she opted to go to infirmary of the academy. This was one of the few places that was a true safe haven to her. Whenever people did come into the office, more often than not, it was to receive treatment or just talk to her about health. The Ultimate Nurse was only more than happy to help. This was her domain, and her word was law. Her talent and her title did more than a few things for her, and she wasn't about to complain about that.

Hope's Peak Academy was a sort of heaven, giving her a place where she could be accepted, friends that cared about her well-being, and resources to continue honing her talent. She wasn't a picky person to begin with seeing as she hadn't been in a position to be picky for most of her life, and sometimes, all of these nice things in her life right now could be a bit much for her. Even something as simple as gazing intently at all of the tools, supplies and other necessary items generated a happy feeling.

Mikan began to hum to herself for no reason. It was just a really good day today. Her homeroom was always fun. Miss Yukizome was such a nice teacher, Chiaki was so supportive and inclusive, and all of her classmates took joy in whatever group activities that they did, even the more abrasive and resistant ones like Fuyuhiko and Gundham. She had little to be sad about, which led to her beginning to ignore her surroundings and rejoice. Life was so good that she might cry.

"Mikan, you're here." A male voice said.

"AAHH!" Mikan jumped back in surprise, recognizing that voice. "H-Hajime!"

Before she knew it, she felt her body losing control, and then she collapsed onto the ground. Once her mind was done registering the pain, it then dawned on her that her position was extremely compromising. Of all the things she didn't want to happen to her in front of Hajime, this was probably the worst one to happen. Her relationship with the Reserve Course boy had been going so well up until this point. He must be disgusted with her, so she did the only thing that came naturally to her.

"I-I'm sorry!" Mikan burst into tears and blubbered. "D-don't hate m-me!"

"Mikan!" Hajime's voice was distressed-sounding. "A-are you okay?"

She felt a pair of hands gently untangle her from her position on the floor. She was then able to regain her bodily control and sat up. She didn't dare look him in the eye. Even if he had helped her up, he couldn't be thinking good thoughts about her.

"I'm s-s-s-orry!" Mikan prostrated herself in front of him. "P-please hit me! Draw on me! Stomp on me!"

"What?! NO!" Hajime sounded even more unsettled. "Why would I do that!?"

"I-I-I showed you something so u-unsightly!" Mikan explained while still bowing as far as she could go. "T-there's no excuse for my behavior!"

"You don't have to do that." His tone softened. "Seriously, just take a few deep breaths."

Following his advice, she took a few breaths in and out, inhaling through her nose, then exhaling through her mouth. She could feel her own heartbeat slow down to normal levels. In hindsight, it was probably not the right thing to just lose control like that, but it wasn't easy for her to contain herself. She was naturally a bit light on her feet as well as jumpy, a habit developed from… well, a lot of things.

"Are you calm now?" Hajime asked.

"...I think so." Mikan felt more calm at least.

From his currently kneeled position, he stood up and offered her a hand. The girl was hesitant to take it at first, staring at the outstretched appendage. Then she looked up to see that smile. It was a smile with no ill intent or any ulterior motive. What she was seeing was what she was getting, or so her instincts told her. Pushing her doubt aside and wanting to embrace kindness, she took his hand. He gently lifted her up from the floor, keeping a firm but comfortable grip on her hand.

 _Hehe, I'm holding a boy's hand._ Mikan felt a chorus of giggles somewhere in her head. _It feels so different than I imagined._

"Anyway, sorry for barging in like this." Hajime released her once she was steady. "I felt like wandering the Main Course grounds for some reason and I ended up here."

"Oh." Mikan wasn't expecting this response. "S-so you weren't looking for anyone in particular?"

"Not really, but I'm talking to you now," he said, "so I don't have to wander anymore."

"O-oh, good!" She blushed and blurted out. "I-I mean good for you!"

What was she saying? She didn't know how things like this worked. Being alone with someone was already nerve-wracking enough, but this was a special case. Hajime wasn't really what she considered to be normal. He was a pleasant person, a genuinely nice person. Never once had he held a grudge against or tried to hurt her in any way. Granted, everyone in Class 77-B was family more or less, but this was different somehow.

"So what were you doing here?" The brown-haired boy adopted a curious look. "Are you expecting someone? Or do you just like this place?"

"I just like being here sometimes." The purple-haired girl said with more enthusiasm. "The school doesn't have that many critically injured people, so the most I've ever seen here are moderate injuries, nothing serious. More often than not, I offer medical or health advice to people with varying degrees of success."

"You… have an amazing talent that helps other people. You should be proud of that. I would be if I were you."

Hajime really was a good person. He thought of her talent as the Super High School Level Nurse in a positive light, a selfless light. He assumed that she used her talent primarily to help people recover from injuries, improve their physical health, and make their lives better. There was that aspect of her talent that she could agree with, but she wouldn't be telling the full truth if she said that her only motivation was to help others. She did have selfish motivations, that of pride and power.

 _Should I tell him?_ She began to struggle with this question. _What if he hates me for being selfish?_

No, it was better that she not talk about that stuff. He didn't need to know about that right now, or… ever really.

"Hehehehe, it's so nice to hear that." Mikan settled for a simple show of gratitude.

"I'm not just saying that. I mean it." Hajime intoned. "You're kind of amazing.

Receiving compliments like this in succession was still a new sensation. She heard it many times from Ibuki, Mahiru, Sato, and even Hiyoko every once in a while, but no matter how much she heard it, it wouldn't go away, the feeling of getting words of kind intentions. It filled her with a sense of fear, but also of hope, and wasn't that the point of this academy to begin with?

"You… you really mean that?" Mikan dared to hope. "Really?"

"Mikan, I'm not a disingenuous person." Hajime met her eyes. "If I compliment you, there's nothing else to it but admiration for what you've done."

The Ultimate Nurse frowned and held her head down in shame. What had she done to deserve such attention? She had been questioning this since her time at Hope's Peak Academy. It was only when facing the truth spoken directly to her that she now thought about it this much, bringing it to the forefront of her thoughts. She didn't at first because she desired those ecstatic feelings like a person suffering from dehydration in a desert. She would gorge on this and doubtlessly never stop, yet it didn't push away her guilt that ate at her.

"Mikan?" Hajime stepped closer. "You okay?"

"I-I-I'm sorry!" Mikan shouted with moisture in her eyes. "I-I took too much! Too much kindness. I-I-I'm selfish! I don't deserve friendship!"

Tears began to flow from her eyes. This wasn't right; none of this was right. People always hurt her, drew on her, insulted her. That was who she was and that was what she was deserving of. This would always be.

It was only when a pair of hands resolutely gripped her shoulders did she break from her declining state to witness she thought had to be the most fiery look she had ever seen.

"Mikan, I promise you that I'll be your friend through thick and thin. You're not selfish for wanting a friend. Every wants someone to call their friend. I do too. I want to be your friend and I hope that you'll be mine too."

A promise…

"... no one has ever made me a promise."

"Then let me be the first to make one to you."

"...o-o-okay."

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Thursday, August 12th, 2010**

 **Late Afternoon**

 _"Sir, I must ask why you are so dead set on retooling the experiment. This is already a delicate operation as you know. Introducing additional factors and variables could add a new level of complication that is unnecessary."_

"Our most viable subject has recently shown signs of interesting behavior that lead me to believe that he is not simply a talentless student." The Headmaster said to the voice on the other end of the call. "That's why I asked that the details be looked over again."

 _"Sir, with all due respect, if the subject has shown signs of change from his original profile, then it's time to consider another candidate."_

"I appreciate the thought, but that's simply not possible." Jin shook his head while voicing his disagreement. "Out of all the students in the Reserve Course, only Hajime Hinata shows the necessary qualities for the Hope Cultivation Project, and we cannot afford to wait another year for new students. We simply don't have time."

For the past week or so, Jin had requested that everyone involved in the project review all the details of the operation to see if they could accomodate a few new additions. Hajime Hinata was still their best and ideal candidate. The primary disagreement revolved around the possibility that the boy might not be as normal as he seemed. To the scientists and those involved directly with the project, it meant that there was a possibility of skewed or flawed results should the subject go through. To the headmaster, there was an opportunity, a risky one to be sure, but still an opportunity.

 _"Sir, while I understand your desire to see this project through, we must think about the consequences should we come upon any problems, minor or major. We should delay the operation so that our subject, whoever they may be, won't cause any sort of results that go against what we intend."_

When thinking about it in hindsight, there was no reason for Mister Kirigiri to be pushing this issue the way he was. Like it or not, he did agree with the Hope Cultivation Project. The prospect of being the headmaster to oversee the culmination of hundreds of years of research finally come to fruition was exciting. His entire tenure as headmaster had seen him taking a vested interest in talent and he wanted to see this through. He knew full well what would result when all was said and done. It would be a cruel fate for the boy, but sacrificing one life for the future of Mankind was worth it.

Then Jin got the call from Chisa Yukizome to allow Hajime to interact more intimately with Class 77-B. At first, he gave it no regard, but then he witnessed one such interaction from the window in his office.

Ibuki Mioda was one of the most wild girls in recent years, with endless amounts of energy. Often times, she could be seen running laps around the school, which was strange seeing as it didn't correlate to her talent. On her tail was Hajime, trying his best to keep up. It only took one look for the man in his office to realize one thing: the both of them were having fun even there appeared to be no reason for what they were doing. The sight brought him back to a time when he wasn't so focused and so determined, when he had things that mattered more than being the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy.

 _Kyoko._ His daughter came to mind. _When was the last time I talked to her?_

 _"Sir?"_ The voice on the other end asked.

"...how soon can you have the new data ready?" Jin bypassed the argument and got to the point.

 _"...the new results will be ready by next week at this time."_

"Understood. Make haste."

The call ended.

There was a sigh.

* * *

 **For some reason, you guys have really taking a shining to Mikan and Natsumi, so I did another chapter of them. Personally, I have a more vested interest in Natsumi due to the lost potential in Danganronpa 3. While a lot of my details may end up being deduced from what the second game and the show tells me, I'm eager to write about. It's like solving a mystery.**

 **That's not to say that I dislike Mikan, but if I were asked who was the best girl in the second game, I wouldn't think of her immediately. That being said, I think even small acts of kindness towards Mikan are the right thing to do. Without the negative environment of the second game, her darker side is less likely to rear its head.**

 **We're so close to introducing all the characters of Class 77-B. If I remember correctly, we have Hiyoko, Teruteru, the Ultimate Imposter, and Ryota (yes, I'm including him). We also have to go back and have some more FTE's with everyone else we've introduced.**

 **So what do you guys think? Feedback is always appreciated and if you've got a preference for who you want to see next chapter, then leave that in a review as well. Remember, all chapters feature at least two different characters with Hajime.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed reading.**

 _ **"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong."**_

 **Mahatma Gandhi**


	11. Hiyoko's Habits, Teruteru's Tab

Chapter 11: Hiyoko's Habits, Teruteru's Tab

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **General School Grounds**

 **Friday, August 13th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Hajime, in spending his time with his Super High School Level friends, had almost forgotten to take care of some assignments for math and history, and thus had spent yesterday night focus-studying. He wasn't sure how he had misplaced the due dates for his assignments and when he found it, he went into a bit of a panic at first.

Fortunately, luck was on his side and he managed to turn in his work due today on-time and complete with pretty good work. It wasn't top of the line, but it was good enough work considering it was cram work done the night before. For that much, he was grateful, and he had spent most of today making sure that he was caught up with his school work.

During lunch break, he briefly chatted with Natsumi before going off on his own. Then it was back to classes for the rest of the day. The day went by faster than usual.

Instead of going back to his dorm and changing after classes, Hajime sat down on a benches next to the fountain, slouched over, and took a long breath in and out. He really needed to make sure that he kept school as a priority. As much as he wanted to spend everyday with his newfound friends, he needed to remember the reason why he came here. Like he had told Miss Yukizome, his parents were paying a pretty penny to get him here.

He felt a responsibility and a desire to succeed for not just his own sake, but for theirs as well.

"It's alright, Hajime. You've got this." The boy stood up, psyching himself up. "I just need more energy."

His thoughts turned to Nekomaru and Akane. They would no doubt have ways of physically helping him. They had energy that was simply not in his realm right now, but he sure as hell wanted it. Perhaps this weekend he could go and see them for tips on increasing energy so that he could really do stuff with less pause and fatigue.

Hajime gazed around himself. He had been here dozens of times the course of this semester to think, to talk to people, to do work, or to just doze off. It was strange that he didn't find this place more busy than he did, not that he was complaining. This place would change in atmosphere if groups came here. A few people and maybe a small group might be okay, but nothing too big.

"Squish, squish!" A girl's voice echoed somewhere nearby.

"What the?" Hajime paused to listen.

"Squish, squish!"

"That's definitely a girl." The boy confirmed this after hearing it once again. "You'd have to be either stupid, delusional, or crazy to think otherwise."

"Squish, squish!"

"Okay, now it's just getting weird." Hajime shook his head. "I'd better find out who's doing that unless I want to go insane."

With his new goal in mind, he recalled the last area that he heard the voice coming form. Judging by the way that it repeated, he was likely to hear it at least once more if not multiple times. It wasn't a particularly unpleasant voice to hear, but the frequency and the words themselves were just downright creepy.

"Squish, squish!

Hajime whipped his head to his seven o'clock. It sounded very close now, somewhere close to the path leading to the center fountain. He retraced his steps back to where the fountain was located, then began to walk on the straight path adjacent. From there he looked to his left, then to his right. He thought he had heard the sound of rustling grass and a swish of something. He was getting closer.

"Squish, squish!"

There! He spotted the girl that was saying those words… and yet he halted once he rounded the corner of the cluster of mini trees.

It was a girl just like he had heard, but she was really small, tiny to be honest. Her long blonde hair was tied into two equal and neatly-done ponytails. She wore a traditional furisode kimono with white floral decorations.

 _Who is this?_ Hajime hesitated. _Is she another student here? She doesn't look like a high school student, but she's here…_

"Squish, squish!"

"Um, excuse me?" Hajime kept his neutral. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, a stranger talking to me?" She perked up from her spot on the ground. "Nobody's ever walked up to me and introduced themselves so casually."

 _… she definitely not a kid._ Hajime's mind processed. _That tone is just way to off to be a child talking._

"My name is Hajime Hinata." He simply chose to ignore what she had initially said. "And you are?"

"I'm Hiyoko Saionji." She did a sort of curtsey in return.

"Right… I was wondering what were you doing just now?" Hajime ventured. "I kept hearing your voice."

"I was squishing ants." Hiyoko answered as if it were obvious. "Have you never done that before?"

"... not with the level of enthusiasm that you show." Hajime replied in an off put tone. "I just swat them away and that's that."

"Aw, that's no fun, but then again, you don't look like fun yourself." Hiyoko looked him up and down. "Wait, you're one of those Reserve Course students. Boring."

 _Okay, seriously?_ Hajime bristled, but kept his cool. _It hasn't even been a minute and she's trash talking me._

"So… you're an ultimate, right?" Hajime asked her, once again pushing past her demeaning words.

"Of course I am!" Hiyoko stated with indignation. "I'm the Ultimate Traditional Dancer. What are you, stupid or something? Can't you tell?"

Hajime felt just a slight twitch in his features. _What is the girl's problem?_

"Oh, no, wait!" The girl looked him up and down. "You've got a shady face, a bum!"

"Hey!" The boy growled.

"No, you've got to be a sicko pedo." She declared haughtily. "Yeah, that's what you definitely are!"

Hajime could be called a pushover in some respects. He had been insulted and belittled before in his previous school for wanting to be someone. Those insults, even though they hurt, had become normal in his life, so much so that sometimes, he simply never engaged back, opting to mentally tell them that all he wanted to do was just become someone, become something more than just another person living. It usually wasn't in his nature to fight back verbally, but this time, he just couldn't take it. A line had been crossed and he wouldn't take this one lying down.

"Take that back!" Hajime yelled at her. "I've never even met you before! What do you have against me?!"

He wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen, but he sure wasn't expecting his fervent response to work as effectively as it did. The insults ceased to come his way and he watched as the girl in front of him began to blubber and then cry, and though he wasn't familiar with girls and their emotions, he was certain that she was crying actual tears.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Hiyoko wailed loudly. "You're so mean!"

 _Shit!_ Hajime began to panic. _This is going to look bad if someone sees this right now. I've got to fix this!_

"Whoa, easy!" He raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get mad at you! Please stop crying!"

For every second that she didn't look okay, it was just another seconds towards his own downfall. If he became known for making trouble with an Ultimate, he would probably be castrated. Even worse yet, the fact that it was a girl did more than make him a little angry. Seriously, what sort of guy was he to make a girl cry, even though she had insulted him in a way no one else had ever done before. He should have handled this better; reacting like this didn't make him out to be good in any way.

Thankfully, she heard him and her tears and crying subsided. Her eyes were now red and she looked like she could still unleash more if she was provoked again. She was very vulnerable right now. And volatile.

"Hmph." Hiyoko rubbed her eyes. "If you're really sorry, then do me a favor."

"...okay." Hajime tentatively agreed. "What do you want me to do?"

"There's this sweet I want." Hiyoko began. "It's shaped like a star. It's small, but it's cute and sweet."

Hajime paused. "Wait… you're talking about confeito, right?"

She nodded. "I'll give you fifteen minutes!"

"That's not enough time for me to buy them and get back here." Hajime protested, fighting off his annoyance.

Then he saw what looked like another outburst about to happen.

"Fine! I'll be back in fifteen minute!"

This was blackmail, he was sure, but there wasn't time to be thinking about that. Whether this girl planned to do anything or not, he wasn't willing to chance the possibility of his name being tarnished. There was also the fact that he was still the one and only candidate for the Hope Cultivation Project. He needed to stay out of the spotlight until a decision was made. Exposing himself could have disastrous consequences.

"Confeito. Where do I get that?" Hajime stopped to think. "Where would I…"

Then an idea came to mind. It was a longshot, but given his time frame, he didn't have much time to waste.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, August 13th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Teruteru Hanamura hummed a little tune to himself as he prepared his latest dish. As of recently, he had begun a habit of creating party dishes and foods for part environments. His homeroom class was hosting a multitude of events that needed party food to liven things up. It might not always be necessary, but as the Ultimate Cook, he did have a tendency to go overboard quite often, and he wasn't strictly talking about his food.

Yes, he could see it now. Peko Pekoyama did indeed have black thongs, he was sure of it. The girl was super uptight and talked to no one, but it was the quiet ones that often had the most kinky things going on in private. He could only speculate on what else there was behind the mask of the Super High School Level Swordswoman, but if he ever found out, well… life would be really good for him.

Perhaps he ought to consult with Nagito. His Super High School Level Luck was bar none when it acted positively. Maybe that luck would be enough to get him that look that he was dying to get, and maybe he would get more. Who knew?

Teruteru hummed to himself as he carefully tasted his newest recipe. On the surface, tofu was little more than a white rectangular-like shape, essential bean curd. The near tasteless flavor made it boring when in comparison to more flavorful dishes, but that was where tofu was at its best. Tofu wasn't meant to be consumed by itself. It was meant to augment flavors and textures within a dish. Anybody who ate tofu alone was insulting.

"Okay, just a little pinch." Teruteru carefully measured out some seasoning, watching with a close eye. "That's it. Perfect."

Satisfied, he carefully let the seasoning fall into the shallow pot. He then proceeded to mix gently. Tofu was delicate and couldn't be handled without steady hands. Unless someone was just mixing it into a stir fry, retaining its shape was kind of important in terms of presentation, not that most people could really explain it that well. That didn't detract from its importance. There was a reason why the most famous restaurants across the world had a presentation of perfection. It mattered in developing the ideal atmosphere for dining, otherwise, it was the same thing as taking a plate of food and simply sitting in a cafeteria.

"Hello?" A boy's voice called out. "Is anyone here?"

Teruteru lifted his head, not familiar with the voice that he was hearing. Once he registered this in his mind, his mind began to work. New customers were always a delight for him. He was always in need of someone to test out his dishes. While Class 77-B was indeed among his closest group of friends, there was something very satisfying about meeting others. These past few months had him getting more and more familiar with his homeroom, and despite knowing some of the tricks to making them tick foodwise, new faces were uncharted territory, a new opportunity.

"COMING!" Teruteru instantly raced out of the kitchen into the semi-empty halls of the cafeteria. Aside from a few students eating either alone or in small groups, there was a largely quiet atmosphere all around. There was only one person standing, and it was a taller boy with brown hair and olive-green eyes, but most striking of all was his uniform, which was not a Main Course uniform, but rather a Reserve Course uniform.

 _That'll work just as well._ Teruteru wasn't a picky person when it came to people. _I'll just see where this goes._

"I am Teruteru Hanamura, the Super High School Level Cook, although I prefer the term chef." He introduced himself with much energy. "How may I serve you?"

"You're the Ultimate Cook?" The boy looked at him. "Good, then I need confeito, and I need it in five minutes."

"Not a problem my good man!" Teruteru nodded his head. "Now might I ask who this is for? A friend perhaps? Maybe a girlfriend?"

"...no to all of them."

"Well have no fear. I will whip up the most delicious confeito you've ever tasted. By the way, what's your name? I can hardly serve a customer if I don't have a name."

"It's Hajime Hinata."

"Hajime Hinata. I see."

The Ultimate Cook let that name process in his mind. It was a common name to be a sure, but one that did mesh well together. It certainly did roll off the tongue. It also seemed strangely familiar. Where had he heard the name?

"So… might I ask who you need these for?" Teruteru let his curiosity get the better of him. "I might know who you're doing this for."

"I don't know if you do, but sure." Hajime shrugged his shoulders. "It's… what's her name… Hiyoko?"

"Hiyoko Saionji?!" Teruteru grabbed his fellow male student by the hands. "The Ultimate Traditional Dancer?!"

"Um, yeah." Hajime grimaced a bit. "Wait, you know her?!"

"Know her?! She's part of my homeroom!" Teruteru exclaimed. "Although I have to say, Peko is more my type. So mysterious, so calm."

"Peko Pekoyama?" Again, Hajime recognized another name. "Then you're… part of Miss Yukizome's homeroom."

"You got it, my friend!" Teruteru smiled as he thought of his homeroom teacher. "A feisty one, she is, but still no less enjoyable!"

Wait a minute. Now that he was thinking about it, his classmates as of late had been involved with a Reserve Course student, and not just one or two, but a lot of them. If he remembered correctly, then…

"Wait, I do know you!" Teruteru snapped his fingers when the pieces all came together. "You're the one that everyone is talking about!"

It was king of surprising to think that this was the boy who was catching the attention of everyone in 77-B. Not to sound rude or condescending, but there wasn't anything that seemed particularly special about him, but that was okay. There was nothing wrong with indulging in more common things. Besides, if everyone liked him for some reason, then there had to be something to him that was unique, something hidden inside that wasn't clear on the surface. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Wow… that's not surprising somehow." Hajime deflated a bit. "I guess I should expect to meet everyone soon."

Okay, that wasn't exactly the most flattering tone Teruteru had ever heard, but all things considered, and he had a lot of things to consider, it wasn't the worst tone ever taken with him. No, if anything people who were somewhat unfriendly from the start had some interesting stories to tell, not to mention they were probably real freaks when all was said and done. Perhaps deep down, Hajime was more adventurous than his aura now was giving off. Yeah, that was probably it. As for his color underneath…

"Hello?" A hand in his face made his mind return to the present.

"Apologies, my good sir." Teruteru said, letting a small grin plaster on his face. "A good idea just popped into my mind."

"Right…" Hajime took a step back. "So about that confeito…"

"Oh, right!" Teruteru remembered what he was supposed to be doing. "I'll get them for you! Wait one moment!"

Of course he knew that Hiyoko had a soft spot for all things sweet and confeito was to be expected for the Ultimate Traditional Dancer. He had even gone the extra mile of making his own confeito in preparation for something like this. It would be accurate to say that he had developed some knowledge about the preferences of food that all of his classmates had. It wasn't perfect granted, but he knew enough.

It only took a minute to carefully collect a bag of his best confeito batch and return to give it to Hajime.

"By the way, if I might be so bold as to ask." Teruteru just remembered something. "Do you have a favorite food?"

"Me?" Hajime pointed to himself while collecting the bag of treats. "Well… I've always liked kusamochi."

"Ah, excellent!" Teruteru nodded in understanding. "Well, if you do come back, I can have some whipped up for you."

"Um, thanks, I guess." Hajime gazed at the confeito in his hands. "I'd better get going. Thank you."

"Best be on your way then!" Teruteru shooed him away. "It's not good to keep a lady waiting, especially Hiyoko. She can be rather demanding."

The Reserve Course student waved a goodbye before taking off again. The chef watched as his latest customer rushed off, feeling satisfied that he had done his job, even if it was a really easy job. Well, in any event, he had gained another customer, so there was also that, and who knew? Maybe something better would come out of all this.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Friday, August 13th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Hiyoko looked at the rather pitiful sight in front of her. The boy, Hajime Hinata, stood in front of her as she sat on a bench. In his hand, he held a wrapped bag of confeito. He looked absolutely worn out. He must've been running like hell to get this to her. It was kind of pathetic how she was able to manipulate this entire thing and he had to go along with it. Still, even if he was kind of wimpy, he did get her what she wanted in the timeframe that she specified, so there was that. He was reliable, even if stupid.

"Man, you're such a pushover." Hiyoko snatched the snacks into her hands. "You were so taken in by my fake tears."

"...you're welcome." Hajime said back evenly, albeit with a vexed expression.

He must've been thinking more than what he just said. If anything, his words were simply his way of ignoring her and not rising to her bait. She had to give him credit for at least trying to man up in a way.

Hiyoko opened the bag carefully so as not to spill anything and took a bite of the first confeito piece that she got her hand on. She knew that confeito always tasted good, but something about this one seemed better than everything else that had come before. It was the perfect blend of actual taste and sweetness. The texture was also something to behold as well, chewy but not too much so.

"So you like sweets." Hajime commented as he watched her. "Good to know."

"Not just any sweets!" Hiyoko declared while eating. "Japanese sweets! Foreign sweets have too much sugar and no real flavor!"

"Close your mouth." Hajime scolded her. "It's bad manners to eat and talk at the same time."

"Hey, don't talk to me like you're my father!" Hiyoko pushed back, not liking that tone. "And slaves shouldn't talk back to begin with!"

"Your slave?" Hajime repeated as if she were insane.

"Are you stupid and deaf?" Hiyoko glared at him. "I'll say it one more time. Slaves have no right to talk back to their masters!"

"And when did I become your slave exactly?"

"When I ordered you to get me confeito."

"That was only because it would've looked bad if I didn't."

"You really do love to bitch, don't you?"

"...if you want your slave to continue to do things for you, you might want to watch the mouth, otherwise a revolt's just waiting around the corner."

Hikoyo thought about saying something back, then decided to put a filter on it, as unusual as that was for her. Truthfully, she didn't have many people she called friends. Among those in Classs 77-B, she only had a few people she could say were true friends. Sure, camaraderie was fine for the class overall, but in terms of people she would bother to spend time with, they were limited. Ibuki, Mahiru, and Mikan were her go-to girls. She didn't really care much for any of the boys. Maybe they were just all too out there.

So why this one? He wasn't special at all; a Reserve Course student was nothing compared to herself, an Ultimate. Boring didn't even begin to describe what she was looking at. A uniform that represented normality, a face that could be missed in a crowd, a personality that was so bland, the entirety of everything she had experienced was normal, and being normal in her mind was the worst. Being normal meant being forgettable, and who in their right mind wanted to be forgotten?

Of course, she couldn't deny that someone getting her things was kind of nice. It saved her the effort of getting things herself.

"Hmph." Hiyoko huffed in agitation. "I'm in a good mood, so I'll let it go this time, but don't make it a habit of it."

"Yeah…"

The way he spoke had Hiyoko looking up from her snack to look at the boy. He carried a strange look on his face. It was definitely not creepy, but there was something about it that she couldn't quite figure out. It almost felt like he was trying to look into her soul and find something inside. Creepy might not be the right word to describe that look, but it certainly did feel more than a little off putting.

"What?" Hiyoko asked, maintaining an even tone.

"You're from Class 77-B, right?" Hajime questioned her.

 _How does he know that?_ Hiyoko thought about it for a second. _Wait, did something mention me?_

Who would talk about her to someone else? The only people that she talked to on a regular basis were Mahiru, Mikan, and Ibuki. As for the rest of Class 77-B, she talked with them on an inconsistent basis. She wasn't BFF's with all of them by any stretch of the imagination, but they were all stuck together for better or for worse. Everyone knew everyone, so it was easy to pick out who would do what with relative ease. The Ultimate Traditional Dancer pondered if one of her classmates could have mentioned something about her to someone else.

That's when another thought came to her mind. There had been talk of a boy within the Reserve Course who had been making waves with her homeroom. It didn't really concern her at first, but now that some pieces were coming together, things were beginning to make more sense, things that she had not thought about before.

"Does the name Mikan Tsumiki mean anything to you?" Hiyoko decided to take a stab at her suspicion.

"That came out of nowhere." Hajime frowned, though not in confusion. "But yes, she's a friend of mine. Why?"

"Well… has she mentioned me?" Hiyoko considered how to phrase what she wanted to say. "How did you know that I'm from 77-B? Either you heard it from someone or you're a real-life stalker."

"Okay first if all, I resent that last accusation." Hajime said with a tint of ire. "Second, I didn't hear that from Mikan."

"Then who told you?" Hiyoko began to interrogate him. "Mahiru? Ibuki? The gamer girl? One of the weirdo guys? Who?"

"Why do you care how I know?" Hajime threw a question back at her.

"What did I say about slaves talking back to their master?!" Hiyoko really didn't want to lose this argument.

"Will you st-." Hajime began, then put his head in his right hand, took a deep breath, then made eye contact again. "I'm guessing that you know… what's his name… Teruteru?"

"Wait, that creep!?" Hiyoko put down her sweets and glared up "He told you about me?!"

"Yeah, he did… wait, did you say creep?" Hajime glanced at her curiously.

"Yeah, and that's a nice way to describe his problems." Hiyoko grumbled. "Of all the people to talk about me."

"So… I wasn't imagining that weird feeling." Hajime rubbed the back of his neck. "I knew something was off about him."

"Yeah, and if you know what's good for you, you would stay away from him."

"But… he's your classmate."

"Hope's Peak screwed up assigning him to our class!"

"...you're eating something he made."

"...what?"

"You heard me."

Hiyoko felt revulsion at first, and for a moment, she was about to toss her treats aside, but then she was stopped with a hand around her wrist. Her eyes trailed back up to Hajime's face, and his face didn't betray his disapproval of what she was about to do.

"Let go of me!" Hiyoko tried to free herself.

"Don't throw that away." Hajime scolded her. "Yes, it came from Teruteru, but I can tell that he's dedicated to his talent. I doubt Hope's Peak would call him the Super High School Level Cook for no reason!"

"I don't care!" Hiyoko screeched back.

"How would you like it if someone told you your talent was worthless?" Hajime's face hardened. "How would you feel if people insulted your talent? How would you feel if someone watched you dance and call it terrible? How would you feel if you had to deal with that every single day?"

That hit just a bit too close to home for the Ultimate Traditional Dancer's liking. Whether she admitted it or not, the reality was that many traditions of Japan were slowly fading away into obscurity and being replaced with norms that didn't have roots in Japan. It disheartened her when tradition was thrown away without much thought. Did tradition mean so little to people now? Why didn't people care?

"Well?" Hajime pressed her for an answer. "How would you feel?"

"I wouldn't like it, okay?!" Hiyoko retorted back. "It's part of who I am!"

"And I'm sure that for Teruteru, cooking is a part of who he is too." The boy used her logic on her. "By insulting him, you're contradicting yourself."

A pause full of tension ensued. She tried to face him with all of her fury and frustration. He met her gaze with her own emotions, albeit with more control. They stared each other down for another minute. Then, with a huff, she turned her head, losing all motivation to throw a fit.

"Thank you." Hajime let her go.

"Whatever." Hiyoko didn't look at him.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Friday, August 13th, 2010**

 **Evening**

Ryota Mitarai felt his head against the cold surface that was his desk. When did he fall asleep again? How long had he been doing this? What time was it now? Actually, what day was it to begin with?

The Super High School Level Animator lifted his head and was immediately greeting with a stinging sensation. His mouth felt extremely dry his insides even more so. He needed to drink something. At this point, he wasn't going to be picky about what he drank as long as it was healthy and it would hydrate him. He noticed a cup nearby and reached carefully for it. When he lifted it up, he found it more heavy than he expected.

 _When's the last time I ate something?_ Ryoto realized he felt hungry too, which was likely a factor in how weak he was now.

With a great deal of effort on his part, he moved the cup to his lips and tipped it to his lips. It was cold coffee apparently, but his brain was still trying to wake up, so he swallowed with almost no regard for how it tasted or how it felt. It might as well be the most delicious coffee that was on this Earth.

 _I need to get back to work._ Ryoto felt the cold beverage enter his systems, making him more alert. _I'm not even close to being done._

The boy found his right hand to be empty, so he shifted himself to start looking for his pen for his drawing tablet. He must've dropped it when he fell asleep. His eyes first scanned the floor around his chair. His vision was blurry, not surprising considering that he had woken up not even five minutes ago. He rubbed his eyes to clear away the mucus that had built up before returning to his search.

Eventually, he came upon it at the back of his desk and he had to crawl on all four to get to it. Checking it for damage and seeing nothing wrong, he tested it on his tablet. When everything checked out, he began to refocus his mind on what he was doing. He had been in the middle of outlining another scene before he succumbed to sleep. It looked like he would need at least another few more minutes to make this part more coherent with the stuff that he had already finished. If he had help doing this, he could have had this done sooner. Even one person helping him would've been appreciated.

"Hey, Ryota, you in there?" Right on cue, the Ultimate Imposter knocked on the door. "I've got some stuff for you."

"It's open." Ryota replied weakly, not sure if he was loud enough.

The door opened to display what looked to be a fatter version of himself. At first, the Ultimate Animator was unnerved by this disguise. How was anyone supposed to fall for such a thing? Then he saw it in action and he never questioned it again. This was actually good for him too. Now he could dedicate all of his time animating since attending class wasn't mandatory, which he was thankful for.

"Man, you really need to take a shower." His double said to him. "And actually eat three meals a day. You look terrible."

"I need to keep working." Ryota replied with the same thing he always said. "The world needs this."

The world needed lots of hope.

* * *

 **Hey guys. Sorry for the late chapter. College was really on my case the entire semester. I'm so close to graduating and getting a job that it feels kind of surreal I've been going to school for so long that I wonder what it'll be like once I leave the system.**

 **So in regards to the story, I've developed some more ideas and plots in regards to the overarching plot. Focusing on character building is my primary concern, but let's not forget that in Danganronpa, as much as we wish we had a game with strictly Free Time Events and nothing else, there are darker things to come. Introducing Ryota and the Ultimate Impostor will have a dramatic effect on events.**

 **So do you guys have a particular character you want to see next? If you do, please let me know. While I can't guarantee that your character will show up, I can say that when he or she does, the part will be written with careful attention to details.**

 **I hope you guys are doing well, and if you celebrate a holiday at this time of year, the Happy Holidays!**

 _ **"In every conceivable manner, the family is the link to our past, bridge to our**_ **future."**

 **Alex Haley**


	12. Peko's Pace, Gundham's Guile

Chapter 12: Peko's Pace, Gundham's Guile

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Outside Track Field**

 **Sunday, August 14th, 2010**

 **Early Afternoon**

Peko didn't often practice outside as she could find more peace and solace inside the training dojo within the Academy. That being said, she did occasionally desire a change of pace from her usual routine. Within the dojo, she did her typical routine of meditation and perfection of her sword technique. She had not missed a single day ever since she had picked up a sword; she knew that repetition breeded perfection, but repetition also breeded complacency, hence the desire to mix things up every so often.

Unfortunately, with so many rambunxious classmates, it was difficult to find a place where she could properly work on her sword skills. While she did have the ability to block out any and all distractions when the situation called for it, it was simply more convenient and less energy-consuming to find a location that was calm and serene, at least that's what experience had taught her. Hope's Peak Academy had only reinforced this way of thinking. That's why when she found the track field to be all but deserted, she was surprised, but thankful all the same. She took to her blade and began to swing.

Peko performed her swing so many times over and over as it was drilled into her mind. While she did indeed have talent with a sword, she combined this talent with hard word and effort and constant attention to detail. This combination was what allowed her to be able to fight at such a high level for her age. This combination was what allowed her to be the sword and shield for Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu. This combination was what allowed her to become the Ultimate Swordswoman, a title that as prestigious as it was, meant very little to her in any way. This combination was what made her who she was. Swordsmanship was her life and she couldn't picture her life going any other way. This was where she belonged.

The sword wielder switched from constant swinging to a mental simulation. She could make out the forms of various enemies coming at her with killer intent. With all of her experience, skills, and talent at her disposal, she began to robotically dispatch each and every foe that she imagined. To any normal person not seeing what she was seeing, she was performing a deadly dance. Even if she did not have a metal blade, the bamboo seemed just as deadly as the real deal. It was elegant, practiced, and efficient. It could be described as a display of complete perfection with the sword.

Peko calmed herself once she finished off the last of her imagined foes. Being able to calm the nerves after a fight was important. Self-control kept the killer instinct from lashing out and doing too much damage. The last thing she wanted was to unintentionally hurt anyone that did not deserve to be hurt. She especially did not want to cause harm to her master in any way. Of course he would say that he would survive. His years of living with the clan had hardened him in ways that few men, let alone boys, had experienced. That was simply another reason for her to remain loyal to him.

Her senses then picked up on a presence nearby. She had almost missed it because she was so concentrated on her own training. Her reaction could be measure in a fraction of a second as she turned her blade and made a motion that was intended to connect with the neck. She stopped only when she saw for a moment who she was about to strike. Her bokken ceased mere centimeters from his skin. His face was etched with a look of fear, yet there appeared to be a semblance of control. Likely he could see the attack happening but couldn't react fast enough do anything other than take the hit had she not halted her attack.

"H-hi Peko." Hajime managed to sputter out.

"Hello, Hajime." Peko straightened herself out and nodded back to him. "What brings you out here?"

"I thought I'd just see what you were doing." Hajime took a step back and laughed nervously. "Now that I think about, not one of my greatest moments. I could've lost my head there."

"That's my fault." Peko responded, her blade held casually at her side. "I'm sorry for nearly hurting you."

"No harm done." His body language and his tone appeared to indicate that he harbored no ill will towards her. "I'll just be careful next time. I should've known better than to get too close to a swordswoman when she's training."

"I was too focused and failed to notice you." She shook her head to dissuade him from placing blame on himself. "I will endeavor to be more mindful of my surroundings."

Peko noticed that she and Hajime were making direct eye contact. His previous fears had vanished replaced with a thoughtful look, something that made her analyze him again. From their last conversation, the swordswoman had concluded that this boy was anything but normal. Her sentiment towards him still rang true, but now there was something else there that had not existed when she last spoke with him. In the past two weeks plus change, she had seen him in passing, enough time to exchange a brief greeting and then move on, so she had missed on this new observation. If she had to describe what she saw that was new, it was conviction. For what though, she could only guess, but it did put him in a different light, made him appear more pronounced than before.

"You seem different." Peko commented, giving voice to her thoughts. "I'm not sure how, but you have a fire in your eyes."

"Really? Me?" Hajime pointed at himself as if he didn't believe her. "I don't… feel any different."

"Yes, you are definitely different." The Ultimate Swordswoman nodded her head. "The fact that you seem unaware of this change yourself is unusual."

"Huh… well, that's good, right?" Hajime gandered, looking more confused. "You are talking about a good change, right?"

"Yes, I am." Peko agreed with him. "It's actually very impressive."

"Well, I'm glad that you think that." The Reserve Course student reluctantly accepted her compliment. "But I still don't really get it."

"I'm certain that you'll be able to figure it out." She said. "I think it'll mean more to you if you can discover what's different about you yourself."

Peko had a firm stance when it came to interacting with others. She was a sword master, so of course she had the ability to judge a person by how well they fought with a sword, but she would never presume to judge a person based on any other skills or talents or abilities. Everyone else was far greater than she was at everything besides swordsmanship. She wouldn't deny this fact and she wasn't ashamed of it. Her talent served her young master and that was what mattered most. Her first and most important duty was to protect the heir to the Kuzuryuu clan at any cost, even her own life if necessary.

Be that as it may, she still had things that she wished could be different about herself. She knew that she was off putting to most people. She emitted an aura that had people generally steering clear of her. It was a miracle that she was able to find some camaraderie with the members of 77-B, but the idea that she could have connections beyond what she did have now was something she had mixed feelings about. Her relationship with her young master was precious to her, yet she couldn't help but admire everyone else that seemed to have more friends than she would ever have.

Peko remembered the first words that Fuyuhiko had conveyed to her when they first arrived at Hope's Peak Academy. _Our professional relationship doesn't exist at Hope's Peak Academy. We're just fellow high school students now._

She recalled those words because for the first time since entering the academy, she had begun to reevaluate what was going on. At first, the words of her young master had hurt her. She assumed that he was intentionally distancing himself from her in order to punish her in a way. Now, she wasn't sure if that was his true intent at all.

"Well, I shouldn't keep you from your training." Hajime began to walk away. "I just wanted to see how things were going. It looks like you're okay."

She watched him leave, realizing that now she was alone, she didn't want to be alone. She had to act quickly.

"Wait!" Peko called out to her fellow high school student. "Do you… do you mind staying with me for a little while?"

"Um, sure, I guess, but what am I going to do?" Hajime raised an eyebrow at her request. "I mean, I'm not helping you with your training directly."

"I think… having someone around might be good for me." Peko had no rationale behind what she wanted, but she still tried to elaborate.

Hajime ran a hand through his hair and took a moment before answering. "Alright, I'll stick around. I'll just take a seat and get some homework done."

"Sure." Peko wouldn't deny him that.

The Ultimate Swordswoman continued her training while the Reserve Course student got his books out and settled down nearby to study. They didn't talk at all, but they didn't feel a need to either.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Sunday, August 14th, 2010**

 **Mid Afternoon**

Gundham held a pumpkin seed up so that he could feed one of his Dark Devas of Destruction. His servant graciously accepted the offering before devouring it. The sight never failed to bring a warm feeling inside. Animals were so simple to understand and befriend, not like the humans that lived in this world. Humans were petty, weak, and ultimately tiny creatures in the flow of time. There were few individuals that were even worthy of notice let alone his companionship.

And speaking of companionship, it had been some time since he had made contact with another individual. His classmates in 77-B aside, he had little to no contact with anyone outside of Hope's Peak's main course let alone the reserve course or anyone outside of the academy grounds. Well, all except one.

Hajime Hinata was an anomaly among mortals. While Gundham considered his classmates to be below his own power, he would not deny that they were talented and skilled individuals. This Hajime was normal, yet he sought greater things than normality. He sought to rise above what he was on the surface. He fought to turn himself into something that could be admired and respected like the Ultimates of Hope's Peak. He was essentially trying to do what many would deem impossible. It was both admirable yet also foolish, but there was no need to voice such things to his new-found companion seeing as it served no use in their conversations. Another time maybe, but not now.

The Ultimate Breeder had been doing a considerable amount of pondering ever since his arrival to this academy. It wasn't something he partook in often. Though powerful as he was, philosophy had never been a strong suit of his despite the many views he held. The world was what it was and he was simply responding in kind. There were things in life that were certain and there were things in life that were not so certain. No matter what though, he vowed to never give up on life. He would always keep going.

"Hey, Gundham." That was Hajime's voice. "You look… busy."

"I am not." Gundham dismissed him. "Tell me, what brings you here before more, Hajime Hinata?"

"Just Hajime is fine." The Reserve Course student laughed. "And to answer your question, not much really."

"So I see." Gundham's mind began to formulate different things to say. "I will grant you the seat besides myself."

"Thanks." Hajime nodded and sat on the bench. "So… how are the Dark Devas doing?"

"They are well, all things considered, but they have recently been encroaching upon each other's' territories." Gundham explained, clearly remembering when they fought this morning. "I was required to sacrifice an arm to quell their rage."

"Huh… that sounds… intense." Hajime's eyes lingered on the bandaged arm. "I had no idea."

"Most do not." Gundham didn't think much of it. "But this may not be the worst damage I receive. Perhaps one day, I will receive a more grave ailment. I may yet need to sacrifice more limbs."

"Well, I hope it doesn't come to that." Hajime grinned in a pained way. "That can't be good for your health."

"Fret not for my health, foolish mortal." Gundham deflected the concern for his well-being. "If I am called upon to make such sacrifices, then so be it."

Truthfully, it was no hassle when the Dark Devas of Destruction quarreled with each other over territory. It was nothing that he was not prepared to deal with. His title of Ultimate Breeder, while crude, was not granted to him for no reason. His research and understanding of the various species of Earth was impeccable. The concerns of Hajime Hinata, while unfounded, were far from offensive. Those lacking understanding in the proper caring of animal life could not be expected to fully grasp all the intricacies involved.

It was a shame that there was no one to truly be able to share his love of life with. While he had certainly encountered those who helped his endeavors all around the world, Gundham could not say that he had many close friends that also shared his passions and desires. The closest to him was Sonia Nevermind, he supposed, although he was well aware that she was more fascinated with his dark powers and more mysterious ways, though her love for the Four Dark Devas of Destruction was certainly not lacking.

"By the way, do you happen to know which of the Dark Devas has the largest body?" Gundham posed a question.

"Um, I think the Golden Hamster has the largest body." Hajime only hesitated for a brief moment.

"You are correct. They are indeed vast and quite formidable with their size." Gundham nodded his head. "It seems you have been listening."

"Well, I wouldn't be much of a friend if I didn't listen." Hajime looked slightly bemused. "We are friends, right?"

"You assume quite a bit about our relationship. Such a leap of logic could be described as either brave or foolish." Gundham chuckled a bit at this notion. "Yet I am more inclined to favor the former seeing as you have been… entertaining thus far."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is the only rational thing to do."

Another lapse of silence came over the two teenage boys. It could not be called a comfortable silence, but neither could it be called an awkward silence. The best way to describe what was currently going on was like a truce between the two, an agreement. Between one that was average and one that was not so much, the number of topics with which they could make conversation was limited. Be that as it may, it did not mean that the two of them were resigned to doing nothing at all.

Gundham felt Cham-P on his shoulder and took the largest of the Dark Devas, placing him in front of his face. The master met the eyes of his servant and carefully watched and listened. The results were interesting.

"Yes, I see." Gundham's chortle was soft as he digested what was being asked of him. "Very well, I will see if he agrees."

From his viewpoint, Hajime looked intrigued by what was going on between the two of them. His curiosity was further ignited when the Ultimate Breeder extended the hand with Cham-P outwards towards him. Only a moment of thought followed before the Reserve Course student got what he was supposed to do.

"He wants me to take him?" Hajime confirmed for certain.

"Cham-P has taken a liking to you." Gundham looked somewhat impressed. "For what reason I know not, but he has spoken."

Eventually, the brown-haired boy gently extended his own palm face-up, prompting Cham-P to crawl onto the empty hand. The little guy took a moment to get his footing before settling his body down and closing his eyes.

"He wanted to sleep on my hand?" Hajime looked puzzled. "Why?"

"What does it matter why?" Gundham inquired with a thoughtful look. "Let fate do what it may."

The self-proclaimed Forbidden One observed as his opposite merely settled his palm into his lap and watched the sleeping hamster. Very rarely did one of the Four Dark Devas ever show even a fleeting interest in others. In fact, the number of times that that this had occurred could be counted on one hand. He attributed this behavior to his care being in-depth and personal, more so than that of the average keeper of pets. It was strange that one who knew only of handling the lowest of creatures possessed a magnetic pull that it would ensnare the likes of Cham-P. Such charisma could not possible belong to one who was so plain and so mundane.

"Are you certain you are not hiding a secret identity?" Gundham pressed.

"I… don't think so." Hajime raised an eyebrow. "I've always been me."

"And yet you are labelled as a Reserve Course student." Gundham pointed out. "I find your situation to be paradoxical to your abilities."

"I honestly don't know what to tell you." Hajime shrugged shoulders. "I'm just going about my days and making some cool friends along the way and maybe learning a thing or two."

Cham-P breathed softly while sleeping. With a light touch, he was petted lightly by Hajime, who smiled a sad smile.

"Trust me when I say this: I'm no Ultimate, no matter how much I wish I was. I just need to accept that for what it is… and yet, I can't just accept that this is where I have to be. I want to become more than I am. Everyone thinks that I'm overstepping my bounds. That just makes me want it more."

Gundham felt a strange feeling in his veins. He was not certain of what to say about the feeling other than it was ominous, like a feeling he had known before in his past. Thinking about his earlier years brought back some memories.

Isolation was a heavy burden.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

Sunday, August 14th, 2010

Late Afternoon

It wasn't often that Chisa found herself with little to do. Either she was gathering information about her mission or planning something in regards to her homeroom students. Both kept her incredibly busy, leaving her with little time to herself. What time she did have she reserved for time with Juzo. Today was a speedy day for her; she had gotten through her work load with surprising ease. She had also gone through whatever secure information she could find from Hope Peak's private archive. So far, she had nothing really new on that front. So now, it was just her and her thoughts.

It would be right to say that she was wandering, but it wouldn't be right to say she wasn't focused. These days, she was thinking about Hajime more and more. At this point, it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that keeping tabs on him had become something of a priority in her eyes. He just exudes so many emotions that she latched onto. Happiness, sadness, and everything else in-between. Not only that, but he was quite a hit with her students too, befriending them all in the span of weeks. In short, he was such an interesting person, so full of contradictions and unknowns.

Hajime might not think it himself, but he was far more proactive than he gave himself credit for. As far as Chisa knew, he was the only of only two students who had some form of contact with the Main Course student body. The only other exception was a Akari Sato, who was friends with Mahiru coincidentally enough, but that Sato girl only had Mahiru. Hajime had the entirety of a class that he had a connection with. There wasn't even a point to making a comparison seeing as Hajime was on an entirely different league than Sato.

And when the former Ultimate Housekeeper pondered, the more she began to become more sure that Hajime was definitely connected to Hope's Peak more than his status would have everyone believe. However, without hard evidence or irrefutable proof, she couldn't act without blowing her cover and she wasn't about to ask Kyousuke to lend aid. She had made a promise to herself that she needed pull her own weight and do what she came here to do. Juzo was her only alternative, but even his aid came with limits. Being head of security had him going places and performing duties completely separate from her own. She couldn't reasonably expect him to always have exactly what she needed when she needed it.

Chisa flipped open her phone to scroll down her list of contacts. Her eyes settled on Juzo's number. She stared at it for five seconds before selecting his number and putting her phone to her year.

 _"Sakakura here."_ Juzo answered.

"It's me." Chisa answered. "I… do you have time to talk."

 _"Ten minutes at most."_ Juzo reported. _"I can't move from my place, so what's going on?"_

"Well, that's just it." She sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "I've hit a dead end and I'm not really sure what's next. I was hoping you had an idea."

 _"You haven't found anything then."_ He seemed disappointed. _"You know Kyousuke's not gonna be happy."_

"Which is why I'm asking you for help." She replied back with a sigh. "I've been looking at everything, even things with a peripheral connection to the dark side. Pretty much all of it falls flat on its face. So unless you want me to tell Kyousuke that we're going nowhere, I need you to get me something."

 _"...something's bugging you, itsn't it?"_ Juzo's tone shifted into curiosity. _"What's got your cage rattling?"_

"It's nothing, at least for now." Chisa didn't want to go into details about it because it wasn't even relevant right now. "Is there anything you can do?"

 _"... I might have something. Meet me by the gates after classes have ended tomorrow."_

"Got it. And thanks."

 _"Yeah, sure."_

The teacher hung up her phone and placed it on her desk. Deciding that it was time to get up and do something other than nothing, she made her way out of the office space. With no set destination in mind, she resorted to just walking down the quiet hallways. Maybe if she kept going, she would find the inspiration she needed to get herself in gear and be productive. The fact that was even having to make an effort to try at all was not good. She had to get to the source of her troubles so she could make her next move.

Chisa passed by a row of windows looking over the track field. Her eyes wandered over, looking to see what students were making use of it at this time. It came as no surprise when she saw Akane and Nekomaru doing their thing. What was different was when she spotted Hajime who had joined them. Gone was his Reserve Course uniform replaced with a simple tracksuit. He looked to be heavily involved in one of their training regimens and quite invested in it. The shouting and screaming of the two Ultimates followed by his movements indicated that he was following their instructions.

 _Just look at Hajime._ The Hope's Peak alumna scolded herself. _He's better than you are. Come on girl, get yourself together. If you're going to preach to him, practice what you preach otherwise you're a hypocrite._

The fact that she cared just how much he thought of her spoke volumes about how much she wanted to maintain their relationship. It was something that she could have never anticipated when she first took this mission and now that she was thinking about it, her expression became grim. How much longer before she was forced to go beyond the point of no return? Would there come a time when she would have to do something that would be seen as a betrayal in Hajime's eyes? Could she live with that?

However baseless Chisa's worries were, she still had them. God knew that she was hoping and praying that Hajime had nothing to do with Hope's Peak and its dark side. If only he was a simple high school student who had the good fortune of meeting up with wonderful and talented people. Then she would never have to live with the possible guilt of harming him. Between following the desire of Kyousuke and following what was right, she would always choose the former. She believed in the object of her affections more than anyone in the world. She doubted he wanted to harm students, but there was no telling what he would do if she could confirm her suspicions.

From where she was standing, she continued to watch her students train some more. They looked to be having so much fun. It was nostalgic for her and it brought back so many memories. Between herself, Kyousuke, and Juzo, everything was pretty good. There was no thinking about the future of the academy. It was just teenagers being teenagers, a simple time that she sometimes longed for, but in the end, she understood the necessity for change. Hope's Peak Academy needed it. The students of today would be a much different breed than the students of many years to come.

The vision of a better tomorrow was already in motion as Kyosuke moved to reach the position of Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. Jin Kirigiri was probably already aware of this. The man wasn't the headmaster for nothing. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if Kirigiri was already moving his own pieces into place in order to shore up his position. The man had an unusual fixation on talent and the fact that he seemed to be supportive of a talentless student was too strange.

Chisa still had little to nothing to work with, so right now it would be in her best interest if she did something to let off a bit of stress. The last thing she needed was to be in a fit. Maybe there was some cleaning she could do in the classroom now that she thought about it. Although this was a job that could be left to the cleaning staff, she decided that one day of work on her part was fine. If anyone asked, she would merely reference her own talent.

All she needed now was to get all of her cleaning equipment, which was a lot.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

Sunday, August 14th, 2010

Evening

Hajime settled down on his bed and groaned in agony. Today's workout had been extremely punishing. Working muscles that he normally never used was a literal pain and no doubt that pain would be amplified tomorrow all day. More than once, he had to remind himself that he had chosen to endure this for the sake of self-improvement and he had to stick to it. He couldn't very well just quit now.

At least Nekomaru had told him to take it easy tomorrow and not do anything to strenuous. Hajime would certainly try not to overextend himself, but with all the things he had to do and all the things he wanted to do, he could make no guarantees. He had classes tomorrow and he wouldn't skip school on account of being sore. It would look bad no matter how he framed it.

Hajime gazed to his desk to find his homework and textbooks stacked together. He had managed to get it all done before his meetup with the Ultimate Gymnast and the Ultimate Team Manager so that was one less thing to worry about. Unlike other schools, Hope's Peak Academy ran year-round with the only break being when the school year ended and the next year began from April to May. It might be considered unreasonable to not allow Hope's Peak students a break, but considering that the academy was a near-unbreakable promise of success, it was easy to endure a few years without vacations. That same mentality applied to both the Main Course and the Reserve Course, even if the latter wasn't going the exact same benefits. Even having the name attached to a student was a wonderful prospect for colleges.

It was fortunate that the brown-haired boy had a couple of options before him. In his time spent with the Ultimates, he had nearly forgotten that he had a choice to make and at one point, the answer seemed really clear, but now he wasn't so sure. If he became the Ultimate Hope, he would indeed gain talent, but it wouldn't be by his own initiative. It wouldn't be by his own hard work. It wouldn't be anything of his own doing.

On the other hand, when it came to personally developing himself, there was no certainty or constant that would allow him to play the game for as long as he wished. Braving it on his own came with it the risk of many failures, some of which he wasn't sure if he could endure given who he was. He liked to think that he was capable of more than people thought he was, but was he truly capable?

Hajime needed more time to figure out who he was and what he wanted from himself. Once, he had pledged to himself that he wanted to become part of something bigger than himself, something that had meaning to the world. He needed to reevaluate that pledge and consider if it was what he still wanted from the bottom of his heart. If he couldn't be sure, then perhaps it was time to move on.

He sat up and looked out the window at the sunset. Could he ever shine as brightly?

* * *

 **It's been a while since I last updated this story and I sincerely apologize. A lot of things have been going on and lots of things are still going on, so I'm not exactly sure how often I can update, but I'll be sure not to let this story go. I've put too much into it to just forget about it.**

 **Gundham and Peko haven't been featured for a while, so I thought I'd get some more time for them. In fact, now that almost all of Class 77-B has at interacted with Hajime at least once, now it's time to establish the relationships as well as move the plot forward. Keep in mind that this story is all about long-term story-telling. Think about it like this: the journey is emphasized more so that the destination is just as impacting.**

 **So what did you all think? Reviews and feedback is appreciated. Grammar issues will be fixed as I see them pop up.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

 _ **"A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be**_ **yourself."**

 **Jim Morrison**


	13. Chiaki's Concern, Nagito's Nefariousness

Chapter 13: Chiaki's Concern, Nagito's Nefariousness

 **Hope's Peak Academy**

 **Reserve Course Building**

 **Tuesday, August 16th, 2010**

 **Noon Time**

Natsumi Kuzuryu had never trusted anyone outside of her family and even that was a challenge by itself. Whenever she told anyone about her parents fighting to the death to get a point across, she wasn't joking nor downplaying. Their parents might love each other, but their version of love was far from the traditional version of romance and far from what was generally considered healthy. Still, this violence was accepted by herself and Fuyuhiko and neither of them questioned that aspect of their lives.

At the same time, it would be a lie to say that it wasn't a lonely life. She had seen it in Fuyuhiko's life. More than he was willing to admit, he was a lonely person with few true meaningful connections to people. Him being the Super High School Level Yakuza made it so.

That same thinking applied to herself, much to her chagrin. While normal people were weak and spineless, they did get to enjoy one luxury: being able to live every single day without the worry of harm or death constantly hanging over them.

It was in a yakuza's nature to suspect others, even those who could seemingly do no harm. It was the one that was the least obvious that was the most dangerous. This paranoid nature led to a confrontational and aggressive attitude that came as natural as breathing. It was a reminder to everyone that the Kuzuryu Clan was alive and kicking. Anyone who disturbed the den would have the entire wolf pack descending upon them. That had to be constantly reinforced lest people think that they were weak.

Natsumi thought about all of this because the past few weeks of school had been the most calm she had ever felt in her life; that was no joke nor an exaggeration, just the unabated truth of how she felt. She had felt her guard being let down to such a level that she didn't even consider possible. It had taken her a bit of time to realize that she was so lax that she could be blindsided by even the most amateur hitman. Hell, even a kid in her class could get the slip on her with the way she was acting. This realization freaked her out.

The gangster girl looked to the source of her sudden change in attitude. There was only one person in this entire classroom that she would ever want to talk to. Everyone else was too scared, too disgusted, or something else in between to approach her, let alone hold a conversation with her. Pussies, all of them.

Hajime sat with the front of his desk pushed up to meet the front of her own. He was now drinking from a milk carton with a straw. His meal also consisted of a meal that constituted more than simple a single bun or a piece of bread. In fact, if she didn't know better, then she would say that he was eating the kind of food meant for athletic people.

"What?" Hajime put down his drink and engaged with her. "Do I have something on my face?"

"...since when did you start working out?" Natsumi gave him a weird look. "It's kind of… how should I say it? It's not something I'd expect from you."

"Trust me, as good as this looks, all of this is for a reason." Hajime took a bite from his salmon. "I've got these two athletic nuts on my case and if I want to survive their training, I've got to do this."

"Ultimates?" Natsumi guessed.

"Ultimates." Hajime agreed with her.

"That sounds… kind of fun actually." Natsumi shrugged slightly. "I mean, hey, I bet it's a hell of a lot more interesting than the shit we're learning in here."

"To you, sure, but consider this: we're talking about the Ultimate Gymnast and the Ultimate Team Manager here."

"The fuck kind of title is the Ultimate Team Manager?"

"The kind the school gives out, but don't let the title fool you. He could kick your ass a hundred different ways."

"Uh-huh. Yeah, right."

"You asked." Hajime took another sip of his milk. "But I am serious about all of this."

"I can see that, dipshit." Natsumi flicked him in the forehead.

"Ow." Hajime responded with little pain in his voice.

"You must be growing a thick skull." Natsumi sat back down and leaned her head against her left hand. "Guess that won't work anymore."

"You know, you could just not do anything annoying." He met her eyes with a deadpan look. "Like a decent person."

"And why would I do that?" Natsumi flicked his ahoge.

"See, that right there." Hajime swatted her hand away. "If you weren't like that, you'd have plenty of friends."

"You know, most people who are associated with the yakuza end up dead." Natsumie paused for a moment. "Or worse."

"That didn't exactly stop Hope's Peak, did it? They let your brother in."

"That's just so the school can have some good will with us, nothing more."

The Academy's reasons for allowing the two of them into the school was pretty simple to understand. If the future head of the Kuzuryu Clan was an alumni at the school, then in a small way, the government could make peace with the clan. After all, Hope's Peak was primarily the result of the government's backing. It was all backroom deals and politics that most people wouldn't know about or wouldn't even care about, but it was what it was. This agreement seemed beneficial to both sides for the time being.

But with time, the details and specifics would be contested and worked around as both sides tried to get an advantage over the other. There might be less bloodshed, but it didn't change one thing: it was a mad grab for power concealed under words and promises of peace. This could be considered as merely another form of fighting. It wasn't that the Kuzuryu girl cared to participate in, but she wasn't stupid. She knew what was going on.

"Then why bother coming here in the first place?" Hajime's investment in the conversation was kind of annoying. "What's the goal here?"

"You're thinkin' too much about this, Hinata." Natsume flicked him again to shut him up. "C'mon, you're a student. Focus on the things that matter to you right now. What my family does really isn't any of your business."

"I was just asking a question." He said with a sigh as he sat back in a more relaxed posture and rubbed where he had been flicked. "Is that really so much to ask for?"

"It's for your own good that you keep your nose out of that stuff." She crossed her arms. "It'd save me less trouble of cleaning up when you're a mess."

He grimaced. "God, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were a masochist."

"Yeah, I don't think I'm ready for that kind of fucked-up shit." The mental image was enough to bring an unpleasant expression to her face. "I mean, I'm not scared of anything, but that stuff's just… ugh!"

"Right." He seemed content not to think more on the subject.

Virtually all the kids in their class had broken off into groups, leaving the two of them relatively isolated. It had been like that since they began sitting together. Both had gotten used to this reality in one way or another. Put simply, they were different than their peers. Accepting mediocrity wasn't enough for them. Both of them aspired to greater heights and what they had now wouldn't suffice for as long as they were at Hope's Peak Academy. Being outed and ostracized by the entire class was definitely an experience that the two of them were quite familiar with.

The stares had been somewhat intense during their earliest days together during breaks and lunch. These days, nobody paid them any attention and the two oddballs did the same. If things had to be this way, then so be it. It wasn't like they were close with their classmates to begin with. Perhaps neither side would ever be able to get each other, but as long as there wasn't any malicious intent, what did it matter?

Natsumi flipped some of her blonde hair out of her eyes. When she first came to this class, she had insulted all of them, considering them all nothing but insignificant kids with a future dictated by those better than them. She still stuck by what she said, but her hostility had dimmed over time and it was getting harder to find a reason to be confrontational with any of them. It wasn't that she had softened her stance; it was more like she had better things to do than to be condescending to everyone 24/7. Actively making an effort to antagonize all around her was now something that she didn't even bother with.

Hajime was a far better alternative. Whenever she was doing stuff with him, it felt seamless. Not everything they said or did made sense all the time, but what the hell was life without some illogicalities?

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 16th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Chiaki realized that she had not seem much of Hajime lately so today, she made a conscious effort to locate him and find out how things were. They didn't even have to play games. She just wanted to know what was keeping him so occupied.

She was fully aware of how her classmates were making their own memories with the Reserve Course student. Many of them talked about Hajime and none of them had a single negative thing to say about the boy so far. He was becoming something of a household name where 77-B was concerned. That got her thinking a bit: what did he think about all of this? Was he happy? Was he getting better?

More than anyone else, she understood just how boisterous her classmates were and with that came with it many adventures that left her fulfilled yet also exhausted at the same time. It was only thanks to her ability to analyze others that she had been able to get a grasp on how to deal with everyone should they get out of hand. More than once, she had to reign in Teruteru when his perverted tendencies got the better of him. Other times, she had to stop Akane and Nekomaru from destroying their classroom for the umpteenth time. And there was the one time where Nagito had unintentionally fed a stray cat out of pity and ended up attracting an entire horde of the wandering felines right into the building. How they got past the main gate was anyone's guess, but there it was.

Her results were mixed to say the least. Some outcomes were good while others were not-so-good, but her classmates didn't seem to mind her failings and welcomed her all the same.

With Hajime, she didn't have to worry about him going off the rails. She just had to do what she always did and things would be smooth sailing. For that she was grateful. Simplicity was a blessing when having to constantly deal with very complicated individuals. These moments were always greatly appreciated.

And speaking of the boy in question, there he was, sitting by the water fountain and doing his homework from the looks of it. This was a far cry from the moping boy that she had first met so long ago, or so the length of time felt long. She approached him, then stopped with just a few meters of distance between where she was standing and where he was sitting. Before she could say anything, he did first.

"Chiaki." Hajime nodded to her. "What's up?"

"Hi, Hajime." Chiaki responded back. "I just realized that I haven't seen you in a while. I thought I'd pay a visit."

"I didn't bring my games, so you'll be flying solo this time." Hajime closed his notebook and stowed it away in his bag. "If I had known you'd be coming-"

"No, that's fine." Chiaki took a seat next to him. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about my classmates."

"Alright." He gave her his attention fully. "What about them?"

"Hmm." She paused to collect her thoughts.

There was quite a bit to talk about actually, but condensing all of it was a daunting task. She was fairly certain that everyone save for Ryota had met him in one way or another. Scratch that, everyone had gone beyond simply meeting him. There were enough interactions that at the very least, they were all friends with him or close to it. She knew for certain that her fellow Ultimates liked him well enough, except maybe Nagito.

But what did the brown-haired boy think?

"Well, as I'm sure you've guessed, my classmates are a bit… rowdy." Chiaki opted for the most subdued description that she could manage. "I just wanted to know how things were going with them and how you're doing."

"I haven't given it much thought." Hajime met her eyes casually. "I've just been caught in the moment doing things. If I had say one thing, I'd say that it's keeping my busy, so maybe that's a good thing."

"You're not feeling overwhelmed?" Chiaki asked further. "Or stressful."

"I will say that I am very busy, but not in a bad way." Hajime's tone carried a relaxed feeling. "Sure, I'm doing a lot more than I'm used to, but at least I'm not lacking for things to do."

The Ultimate Gamer watched the Reserve Course student as he spoke. She wasn't an expert on understanding people's emotions and feelings, but right now she wasn't getting any bad vibes from him. If she had to say what she thought he was feeling, she would say that he appeared satisfied or fulfilled. Assuming that was the case, then her worries were not warranted. Outwardly, her face didn't display anything that wasn't perceived as normal for her. Internally, she felt relieved.

"I guess keeping busy stops me from feeling sorry for myself." Hajime chuckled weakly at his words. "It's weird, being able to say that with the perspective I have now."

"That's good to hear." Chiaki was truly happy that he was at least being kept from his negative thoughts. "To be honest, I was kind of worried."

"About what?" He looked perplexed by her words.

"Well… it's kind of complicated." Chiaki felt a bit of shame. "When the semester first started, I was… different."

She was really hesitant to speak on the matter of her attitude when she arrived at Hope's Peak Academy. Back then, the only thing that mattered was keeping up in school and playing her games. As long as she could do those two things, everyone was just an NPC in the game that was her life. She had practically given up on ever making friends.

It wasn't all that long ago that she was just a normal high school student and she was singled out for being the girl that played games. Gaming was seen as a nerd's hobby, something for the unpopular crowd to consume their time with because they were losers.

"I wasn't a popular girl in my old high school." Chiaki explained, her expression grim. "I was bullied for being a girl that was into games. Actually, it was like that for many years. Just because I was different, I was made fun of. Over time, I figured that I was going to be alone for the rest of my life, so my games were my safe haven."

The gamer girl felt her fists clench around her handheld console. Enduring those days was incredibly taxing on her, but she chugged on, believing that maybe, just maybe, there was light at the end of the tunnel.

"I figured that if I stayed on top of my classes, then I'd get into a good school, go to a good college, and work a decent job, pay the bills, and fund my gaming." Chiaki gazed at the afternoon sky. "That's when Hope's Peak Academy scouted me and it made sense to accept the offer. This place guarantees success if you graduate. I guess the plan hasn't changed all that much… except that I've made friends and I share my games with them and we all have fun. In turn, they share their talents with me and we all do stuff together as a class, even when it has nothing to do with our talents."

"I know what you mean." Hajime said with a light laugh. "It's incredible what they all can do. I only wish I could be with them everyday."

"Aren't you already?" Chiaki regarded him with a warm smile. "I've heard nothing but praise from them. Even Fuyuhiko likes you, or maybe it's better to say he doesn't dislike you."

"Well, it's a start at least." Hajime shrugged. "And… I'm sorry that you went through all that."

"It's okay." Chiaki's smile lessened. "I'd like to think that I went through a tough time and now I'm being rewarded."

"But it doesn't make it okay." Hajime's expression hardened. "I've been in the same. I wanted to do more than be normal, but everyone criticizes me, told me I'd never be anything but normal. It was like that before I came to Hope's Peak and it got worse when I enrolled at the academy. Even in the Reserve Course, everyone's happy to just be here, but it's not enough for me."

"I… didn't know." Chiaki was taken aback.

He held his hard face for a few more moments before softening, then turning his head away so she couldn't see his face. The mood had deflated so quickly and just when it looked like they had a perfect vibe going.

"I haven't given up yet." Hajime declared, although not specifically to her. "More than ever, I want to be worthy of the friends that I've made and the only way I can do that is by being someone who can give back to them just as much as they've given to me."

"But you've already given us so much." Chiaki attempted to get through to him. "Just being there for us is more than enough. We're not your friends because we want something from you. We're your friends because of who you are."

"... Thanks for the talk, Chiaki." Hajime got up and grabbed his things. "I've got some stuff to take care of."

She reached out a hand to stop him, but fell short. She didn't get up, only witness him leave.

* * *

 **Despair - - - Hope**

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 16th, 2010**

 **Afternoon**

Nagito found himself wandering outside Hope's Peak Academy grounds and just walking, doing nothing in particular. The reason for his lack of productivity was due to his good mood. Every day since Miss Yukizome had become their homeroom teacher, the amount of fun that had been achieved was simply out of this world, beyond anything he had ever experienced in the past, but considering that Ultimates were his classmates, was it any wonder that the level of fun was as high as it was?

Ultimately, his contributions to the class were minimal at best and chaotic at worst. His luck was what allowed him to create any sort of interest. It was a shame that his luck was better at creating enjoyable things to do than his own conscious efforts. It just highlighted how much he had to do to even be a fraction as incredible as his classmates. Until that day came, he would stick close to all of them for as long as he was able.

Nagito's head turned left, then right. He was farther away from the academy than he had realized. He must've been so engrossed in his thoughts to not be more cognizant of his surroundings. He was now on the edge of a park and here he could see people walking down the paths. Men and women, boys and girls, couples, married and not, guys hanging out, girls hanging out, and everything else in between. By all accounts, there wasn't anything unusual with this scene. It was the end of the day and some people found taking a walk in the park to be relaxing and all of that.

But there was one thing that stood out to him: these people were going about their day and although the moods were not all in complete synchronization, there was one thing he could say confidently: nobody was alone.

The Ultimate Lucky Student felt a myriad of emotions that evoked memories of his past. The images were of past events that he had lived through and he had seen quite a few things in his life. Good memories and bad memories came to the forefront of his mind, but the only ones that seemed to matter to him were the latter because they always overpowered the former. That's why he didn't think about the past.

Nagito turned around and swiftly went back towards Hope's Peak. He needed to get away from here as quickly as he could. He couldn't explain this sudden rush that he was experiencing. Normally, such a pedestrian sight wouldn't trigger him, but then again, maybe his bad luck had intentionally led him to this scene to remind him of where he came from and what was in store for him in the future.

His rapid pace got him back faster than he had left. He saw the front gate and felt himself calm down. Why did he bother going out in the first place?

But his luck wasn't done with him today. When he slowed his pace, his rationality returned to him. However, he was too late to stop his collision with someone else. There was a moment of vertigo as the two bodies smashed together, prompting two grunts of pain.

"Sorry, I didn't see… you…" Nagito began to apologize, but then saw who he had bumped into.

"Nagito." Hajime said nothing more in greeting.

"So the talentless student comes back here." Nagito lashed out again on instinct. "Have you figured out your talent yet?"

"Do you exist solely to grind my gears?" Hajime's tone adopted more of a bite. "Or is it your thing to make fun of people?"

"Only talentless people." Nagito answered.

"Charming." Hajime deadpanned.

"I do my best." Nagito casually intoned.

Getting a more clear picture, the white-haired boy observed his counterpart. Clearly, the Reserve Course student wasn't in the best of moods. His face carried slight anger, his posture was stiff, and his inflection indicated defensiveness and hostility. Something or someone pushed him to this stage.

"Did you need something, Nagito? If not, then I should get going."

"Hmm, maybe I do. Tell me Hajime, what exactly are you hoping to gain by doing what you're doing. Aren't you just setting yourself up to fail? What keeps you motivated?"

"Why all these questions?"

"You asked me if I needed something. I need answers. Either take it as it as or do nothing at all."

Nagito had said it once that Hajime's ability to attract the attention of his classmates was more than what it seemed. Luck alone couldn't allow such a normal person to cross paths with extraordinary people and not this many times. Even more astonishing was the ability to retain that attention without fail. Was it even possible for such an average kid to do what he did? Truly, this was a mystery that contradicted itself.

The two boys eyed each other, the rift between them apparent. Each time they met like this, it was them matching each other for all they had. Always the same topic, always the same dispositions, and always the same conclusion. Maybe they were destined to do this for the rest of their time at this academy. If that were the case, then at the very least, there would be at least one consistent source of entertainment.

Hajime blinked. "It's not about talent. It's about having fun with friends. It's that simple. Why do I have to be after talent?"

"Because all normal people want a talent." Nagito countered. "I would know because without my talent, I'm nothing but worthless trash."

And he fully believed it himself. The people in class 77-B had been recognized as people of a superior calibur. Their accomplishments and feats were many as well as impressive. People who coasted with an average outlook would only accomplish average things. Ultimates worked on a different level entirely. Their mindset was much different than that of the ordinary person and that was why they were different.

"Is that what you think of yourself?" Hajime asked. "Really?"

"It is." Nagito confirmed. "Because it's true."

"So you've given up even before starting the race." Hajime regarded him. "Why?"

"What's the point in pursuing perfection when you don't have the requirements to begin with?" Nagito made his reasons known. "Simply put, I don't have talent and my classmates do. There's nothing more to it. I can put in all the effort I want, but in the end, I'll never be able to compare to them."

Hajime looked confused. "Then what's the point of it all?"

"For hope, of course." Nagito already knew his answer. "The Ultimates create hope and one day, they'll change the world and spread that hope around, enough to destroy despair wherever it might be. I was to experience that hope. That is my only reason for being here. I will never be able to create hope, but being able to be beside those who can will make it all worth it."

There was so much despair in this world that needed to be dealt with, but in order to crush despair, hope was critical. Not just any hope would do; weak hope wouldn't crush the overpowering despair that had tainted the world. Only pure and absolute hope would be the good that would vanquish the evil that was called despair. This was the only course of action that made any sort of logical sense.

"You look so down Hajime." Nagito commented. "Have you been convinced why you'll never reach the Ultimates?"

"I've been convinced of something." Hajime had lost his edge, now having a look of pity. "Just not what you think."

"And what exactly have you been convinced of?"

"...I pity you, Nagito. I pity you for thinking so poorly of yourself. I might not have talent, but at least I'm going to live my life to the best of my ability anyway. I won't hide behind excuses in order to justify me doing nothing."

The Ultimate Lucky Student had to pause to take in these words. This seemed like a much different version of Hajime than what he had heard in the past. It was a more confident version. This begged the question: what had changed between the last time they spoke and now? What had happened that had caused such a radical shift in opinion?

"You… seem different." Nagito crossed his arms in thought.

"So I've figured out myself." Hajime slung his bag over his shoulder. "But you should be worried about yourself more than me. I'm getting my act together, but it sounds like you've got some work to do on that front."

The white-haired teenager was unable to get the final word in as the brunette took his leave, but there wasn't a point in talking back. It was outlandish that he was being talked down by a lesser student. A million words came to his mind describing just how ludicrous this entire conversation was.

"This is utterly ridiculous." Nagito shook his head in disappointment. "He'll never learn. A fool to the end."

But just like in the past, the conversation lingered.

* * *

 **Hope - - - Despair**

* * *

 **Tuesday, August 16th, 2010**

 **Evening**

 _"Sir, the results are in."_ This was a few days ahead of schedule.

"And?" Jin made it clear that he wasn't succinctness and simplicity. "What are the results? Can the project be altered?"

 _"Theoretically, yes, but the necessary steps and tests that are required are astronomical. We would need at least six months minimum."_

"You will get four." Jin clarified with no room for negotiation. "Was there anything else?"

 _"No, sir."_

"Then you and the staff had best get to work." Jin finished up. "And be mindful of our newest hirees. They are getting a little too close for comfort."

 _"Understood, sir.:_

"Get it done." The academy headmaster ended the call.

He reclined further into his seat, letting out a very loud breath. That was another item to check off the to-do list. They were getting closer and closer to the end goal of Hope's Peak Academy. All they needed to do was make sure that Hajime continued along his intended path. While this would take longer, the payoff would be felt for years to come. A little more time was hardly a waste.

"I take it that things are going well?" Kazuo Tengan, sitting on a nearby chair, commented based on what he had heard.

"Our new plan is in motion." Jin affirmed what the elderly man spoke. "Now we have to carefully monitor our prize student."

"Not to rain on the parade, but I'm not getting any good vibes from this." Koichi Kizakura chimed in with his own two cents. "We're already pouring every resource in the book to do this. How much more can we afford?"

"I've already consulted our numbers and they're healthy." Jin assured his colleague. "It's all come to this; we can't let our predecessors' efforts be in vain."

The three men assembled in the office spoke no further. There was nothing else to say that hadn't already been said. Like it or not, they had all sold their souls to the devil when they all became a part of the Izuru Kamukura Project. They could call it the Hope Cultivation Project all they wished, justify their actions by declaring that it was all for the sake of the future of hope, but it didn't change the fact that they were dealing with human experimentation that could potentially go wrong in so many ways. It was morally wrong and they all knew it.

But morality was far from their minds at this point. They were all committed to this moment. They would be the first to see the results of so many generations of talents all coming together. Now they were on the verge of a breakthrough which could change the fate of Mankind itself forever. A new age was dawning on the world and they along with many others would be ushering in a new era unlike any seen in human history.

"For now, everything will proceed as normal." Jin refocused the conversation. "Hajime Hinata will continue his daily life. We have accounted for new factors and variables and he will be tested accordingly. If necessary, we will provide him with a chance to become an Ultimate of his own merit."

"Understood." Tengan murmured.

"Got it, boss." Koichi sighed.

It was going to be a long four months.

* * *

 **Welcome back, readers. I got busy these past few months with finishing up college and getting a job, but now I'm heading somewhere. Thank you all for reading and being patient. I know how hard it is to find a good story that updates on a consistent basis, but there it is. From this point forward, I hope to be able to update on a more consisent basis unless I notify otherwise.**

 **Getting on with this chapter, Chiaki's part was interesting. I may be wrong, but I recall reading on her wiki page that in the past she was bullied and made fun of for being a gamer, which made her withdrawn and socially awkward. One thing the anime failed to convey was how she went from socially inexperienced girl to charismatic class representative. I want to convey that more in this story.**

 **As for Nagito, he's always challenging to write about. As I may have said before, I'm not a big fan of Nagito as a person, but when you read about his life and the things that's happened to him, you can't help but sympathize with the guy on some level. The biggest hurdle for me is to write a character that I dislike on a fundamental in a better light.**

 **I've got big plans for this story down the line and you guys will see what it is soon. As the last section hinted, plans are already in motion to begin the part where hell is starting reign down upon Hope's Peak Academy.**

 **Thanks for reading. Please review and give feeback. I'm always eager to hear what you readers have to say and I hope life is treating you well.**

 _ **"Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines."**_

 **Robert H. Schuller**


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